EAST THE ECU MAGAZINE FALL2018THE ECU MAGAZINE FALL2018
Oursler’s ‘Big Campus and research 

DOOLEY SHOOTS FOR 

Beach Builds’ are news, faculty and alumni 

‘BIG BOY’ BASKETBALL 

prime time interviews and more 

Vai Pirati ! ECU IS IN TUSCANY 

Dr Susan Schmidt, associate dean for student affairs at the Brody School 
of Medicine, puts a coat on first-year medical student Kenneth Lowery II of 


CONTENTS 

Winston-Salem during the school’s annual white coat ceremony Aug 3 

On the Cover: Alanah Miller of Four Oaks, a junior majoring in speech and 
hearing sciences, poses with PeeDee atop the City Hall tower in San Gimignano, 
Italy. It’s one of 14 surviving medieval towers of the original 72 that circled the town. 

Marnie Oursler ’01 played shortstop on the ECU softball team. Now, she wears a hard hat while building 
dream homes on the Delaware coast. Read about her starting on page 28. 


EAST 

IN EVERY ISSUE 

From the Chancellor 4 

ECU Report 6 

Discovery 12 

Faculty Focus 14 

Pirate Nation 34 

Pirate Spirit 36 

Horizons 42 

More coverage including links to videos 
and more photos is at east.ecu.edu 

22 Living, Learning in Tuscany 
ECU’s only residential study abroad-program marks 
10 years in Certaldo Alto 
on the cover 
16 ‘Big Boy’ Ball 
Dooley brings a new day 
for men’s basketball 
32 Student Snapshot 
Adam O’Connor has traded 
NFL shoulder pads for a 
BSOM stethoscope 
34 ‘American Woman’ 
Bartels ’03 channels the 
’70s, female power in 
new TV show 
East Carolina University is a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina. It is a public doctoral/research-intensive university offering 
baccalaureate, master’s, specialist and doctoral degrees in the liberal arts, sciences and professional fields, including medicine. Dedicated to the 
achievement of excellence, responsible stewardship of the public trust and academic freedom, ECU values the contributions of a diverse community, 
supports shared governance and guarantees equality of opportunity. ©2018 by East Carolina University 


Letter from the 

Chancellor 

Hallmarks of a great university 

If you think you’ve been seeing more about East Carolina University in your 
local newspapers, you’re right. 

In July of last year, we began a statewide advertising campaign that consisted 
of a series of full-page ads that appeared more than 100 times in nine of the 
state’s largest newspapers – from Asheville to Wilmington. The ads supported 
student recruitment, alumni relations and opinion leader engagement. 
Estimates are these ads received more than 21 million impressions. 

During the 11 months the ads appeared, I heard from many who told me 
they didn’t know our university, our faculty and our students were doing so 
much great work. Here are some examples the ads highlighted: 

• Our Brody School of Medicine, which is among the nation’s best at educating 
family medicine physicians and leads the state in the percentage of graduates 
who practice primary care in North Carolina 
• The community service-learning centers of our School of Dental Medicine, 
where patients from nearly all the state’s counties have received vital care 
they otherwise might not have gotten 
• Our College of Business, which serves more business students than any other 
state institution while offering a special track to produce entrepreneurs 
• Our national recognition as a top university for military and veteran 
students and their families 
If results matter, then our university’s accomplishments in these areas and so 
many others show ECU is a place of not only state but also national excellence. 
But newspaper ads go only so far. The greatest ambassadors for ECU’s message 
are you – our alumni, friends and supporters. So don’t wait for someone to ask 
about that university east of 95. Take the initiative of a Pirate and show what 
ECU is all about. 

Go Pirates! 

Cecil P. Staton, D. Phil. 
Chancellor 


Welcome back! 

Before they headed to their first day of class Aug. 20, ECU students 
learned about Pirate Nation traditions, were reminded of the 
importance of going to class and had some fun at the annual student 
convocation, Pirate Palooza and Raid the Rec events. 

During her keynote address at student convocation, Stephanie Lee ’08 
encouraged students to challenge themselves during their college career. 
In the decade since she graduated, Lee has worked as a field organizer 
for a presidential campaign, on the staff of former First Lady Michelle 
Obama and is now a product developer for MAC Cosmetics. 

Keynote speaker 
Stephanie Lee ’08 
addresses students at 

Student Convocation 

on Aug. 19. 


“Here is where you can start exploring your true self,” said Lee. 
“You can explore what makes us human and how we’re all the same. 
And that sameness is how we’re all connected to each other.” 

Virginia Hardy, vice chancellor for student affairs, put in a plug for 
keeping up with schoolwork. 

“We want you to enjoy your collegiate experience in every way,” 
she said. “But it all starts with going to class and making the most of 
your academic endeavors.” 


Following convocation, students 
gathered at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium 
for the 18th annual Pirate Palooza 
They had the opportunity to 
participate in fun activities and receive 
a T-shirt and/or a drawstring bag 
Free food was provided by Aramark 
Catering Services as well as a Taste of 
Greenville, featuring local eateries 
On the first morning of classes Aug 
20, Chancellor Cecil Staton handed 
out coffee and cookies to students 
Campus Recreation & Wellness 
presented the second annual Raid the 
Rec at the Student Recreation Center 
on Aug 17 Activities included glow-inthe-
dark miniature golf, a competitive 
inflatable obstacle course, an indoor 
roller rink, a punching meter and 
bubble sumo wrestling 


ECU Report 
In This Issue 
Corbett to lead Coastal Studies Institute 
App aids boating safety 
and development opportunitiesCross-campus team awarded 
in addition to their graduate 
$1.25 million for special education study coursework. In return, each student 
must work in public schools with 
students with disabilities for two 
years for every one year of support. 
Geographically, the graduates can 
work anywhere in the United States or 
overseas through the U.S. Department 
of Defense, provided it is in a public 
school setting. 
Marianna Walker, associate 
professor in the College of Allied 
Health Sciences Department 
of Communication Sciences 
and Disorders and co-principal 
investigator, said the hope is to 
attract more of these professionals 
to public schools. 
“Convincing (speech-language 
From left, students Breaking down the silos of public and higher education for pathologists) to work in schools is 
Elisabeth Jones the benefit of learners with disabilities and high intensity important, so I’m hoping this will 
(special education), 
Amanda Fabritius needs is the mission behind a new East Carolina University be a catalyst to get not only the 
(special education), graduate project involving multiple colleges. CONVEY scholars to think about it, 
Jazmin Alston 
Project CONVEY (Collaborating to Overcome Needs by but maybe also encourage other (school psychology) 
and Whitney Briggs improving the Voice of Exceptional Youth) is funded by a students who are not even in the 
(speech-language $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. program,” Walker said. “The focus 
pathology) participate 
in the CONVEY It involves faculty from the ECU College of Education of this project is to create a unified 
summer institute in Department of Special Education, Foundations and Research, and collaborative team of special 
June at ECU. 
the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences Department educators, school psychologists, 
of Psychology, and the College of Allied Health Sciences and speech-language pathologists 
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. to work with children that have high“
Our goal is to prepare graduate students to be K-12 intensity needs.” 
professionals working with learners with disabilities within The first students met during a 
their specialties … but also be prepared to collaborate across summer institute on ECU’s Health 
disciplines,” said Sandra Warren, a professor in the College Sciences Campus in June. 
of Education Department of Special Education, Foundations “We are training our students to 
and Research and principal investigator. work with students with high-intensity 
Project CONVEY will support four groups during the needs, so a lot of these children have 
five-year span of the grant. Each group will consist of 12 severe communication disorders 
graduate students — six from special education, three from and are not speaking at all or need 
psychology and three from speech-language pathology. assistance in speaking,” Walker said. 
Funding from Project CONVEY covers full in-state “We need to provide them with a 
tuition for each scholar and provides unique training method of communication.” 
– Cole Dittmer 


ECU to establish 
School of Rural 

Public Health

 
ECU’s public health department will grow into a 
new School of Rural Public Health in August 2020, 
after plans were approved by the University of North 
Carolina System in May. 
The new school will combine departments and 
centers already in existence at ECU – public health, 
health education and promotion, biostatistics, health 
services and information management and the 
Center for Health Disparities. These departments 
are in the Brody School of Medicine, the College 
of Allied Health Sciences and the College of Health 
and Human Performance. 

Ronny Bell, professor and chair of Brody’s 
Department of Public Health, said the rural focus of 
the new school aligns with ECU’s Rural Prosperity 
Initiative and creates a niche for the university. 

“This gives us the opportunity to set ourselves 
apart from the rest of the programs in the nation, 
but also align ourselves with the mission of the 
school,” Bell said. “There has to be a public health 
workforce that is responsive to the unique issues here 
in eastern North Carolina, and we feel like ECU is 
the ideal place to train those individuals.” 

The seeds for the new School of Rural Public 
Health were planted during the late 1990s when 
planning groups looked at the public health 
landscape in the state to decide if it made sense for 
ECU to have its own public health school. 


While the consensus was there was a strong need 
for a public health presence at ECU, plans for the 
school could not move forward at that time because 
ECU had not yet met certain prerequisites, such as 
a Department of Public Health, a master of public 
health degree and doctoral studies in two different 
concentrations – all of which have since been 
implemented. 

ECU’s first four doctoral students in public 
health started last spring with a concentration 
in health policy, administration and leadership 
and another concentration in environmental and 
occupational health. 

During the 2016-2017 school year, ECU granted 
46 percent of the UNC system’s public health 
baccalaureate degrees and 29 percent of the master’s 
degrees in the field. University officials anticipate the 
new school will have an enrollment of approximately 
1,800 students when it opens, based on current 
enrollment and projected growth. 

– Rob Spahr 
Stephanie Pitts, an 
associate professor in 
the ECU Department 
of Public Health talks 
with convenience 
store owner David 
Rizik about the 
healthy food choices 
available in his store 
in rural Pitt County. 


Stadium expansion hits 
milestone 

From left, ECU football coach Scottie 
Montgomery, ECU board chair Kieran 
Shanahan, trustees Max Joyner Jr. 
and Kel Normann and trustee Bob 
Plybon sign the final beam July 12 
during the “topping out” ceremony 
for construction at Dowdy-Ficklen 
Stadium. Catherine Staton is in the 
background. The first phase of the $60 
million project, the renovation of the 
first floor of the Ward Sports Medicine 
Building, was scheduled to open Aug. 1. 
A video of the renovated football locker 
room is at bit.ly/2vLKEG4. 


ECU Report 

Boating safety focus of ECU-designed app 

A new smartphone app called SOBOS — Self-
reported On-water Boat Operator Survey — is aimed 
at changing the face of boating safety by putting 
data collection in the hands of boaters themselves. 
Future updates could, in return, provide boaters 
with real-time information and guidance in a way 
that has never been seen before. 

The SOBOS app collects user-reported 
information about recreational boating practices 
and habits in order to provide more accurate data 
about how people use their boats. 

Ernie Marshburn, a professor in the Department 
of Geography, Planning and Environment and 
director of the Center for Recreational Boating 
Research, said most forms of transportation 
have been studied heavily for the last century or 
more. But when it comes to research on marine 
transportation, there’s little literature to be found 
before 1980. 

To add to the problem, most of the literature that 
is available is based on information and statistics 
compiled by the U.S. Coast Guard about boating 
accidents. It doesn’t include information about 
normal boating behavior for the sake of comparison. 

“It’s like going into a prison and trying to 
understand normal behavior,” Marshburn said, in that 
the dataset is inherently skewed. “It seemed to me, if 
that’s all you’re looking at, is you’re chasing the bad 
actors on the water, and that’s all you’re doing.” 


ECU professor Ernie 
Marshburn has 
developed a new 
approach to boating 
safety using an app 
on boaters’ phones. 

That accident information is important, as it 
helps agencies such as the Coast Guard decide 
where to deploy resources. But Marshburn felt the 
data would be more useful statistically if it could 
be normalized. 

“To do that, all you’d have to do is collect 
non-accident-based boating information that’s 
comparable to their accident statistics, and then 
you compare the two,” he said. “So you’re looking 
at accidents and non-accidents. And that’s the 
basis of SOBOS.” 

SOBOS takes a crowdsourcing approach to 
collecting information about how people use 
their boats. Boaters who wish to participate simply 
download the app, take a short survey and then use 
the app to track future boat trips. The app records 
the date and time, latitude and longitude, speed, 
and course heading. 

“This applies to any boating community, 
whether it’s human-powered or engine-powered,” 
Marshburn said. “It’s powerboats, sailboats, kayaks, 
canoes and Jet Skis.” 

He emphasizes participation is voluntary, and 
the information collected — the survey and the trip 
data — is anonymous. 

A variety of commercial, governmental and 
university partners are involved in the effort, 
including the National Safe Boating Council, U.S. 
Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. 
Power Squadrons, National Marine Manufacturers 
Association and U.S. Sailing. Marshburn said one 
important use for the new information about boat 
usage is for updating rules and regulations. 

Once there is enough data to support it, future 
updates of the app could provide tools to help 
boaters operate more safely. Modern electronics 
such as chartplotters, he said, provide a lot of 
information but no way to determine what is and 
isn’t important in a given situation. The SOBOS 
app could include real-time reports of waterway 
congestion and hazards such as floating debris, or 
even a one-touch SOS function. 

The SOBOS app is available for Android and 
iOS. For more information or to download, visit 
www.sobos.org. 

– Jules Norwood 

Students design, 

build custom boards

 
Camille Young’s four cousins will 
receive skateboards as Christmas 
presents – all made by her in a 
summer session class in the School of 
Art and Design. 
Young also made skateboards for 
her roommates, her mother, brother 
and herself – 11 total. 

“They are standard street deck style 
unique to each of them,” she said. “I 
wanted to make them as unique as 
possible and put as much time and 
effort into it so it looks really good.” 

Young still needed to attach wheels 
for the boards already completed and 
was waiting on wood to arrive for the 
others. She matched her friends and 
family interests, ranging from a yellow 
and black Hufflepuff Harry Potter-
themed board to a marbled green one 
that will be painted with a varsity 
letter and mascot for Ashbrook High 
School in Gastonia, where her mom 
teaches. Her mother plans to hang it 
in her classroom. 

Young, an art major concentrating 
in photography and journalism, prefers 
roller skates but will try riding her 
skateboard. “I don’t really skateboard,” 
she said. “I’m really clumsy.” 

Instructor Judd Snapp has taught 
14 students over the five-week course 
how to cut, glue, seal and finish boards 
made from Canadian rock maple. 
Seven layers of veneer were glued 
together and pressed for each deck. 

“Because the wood is so thin, it 
will take a bend,” Snapp said. “We put 
the glue between the layers and press 
against a form.” 

The students had to work quickly 
to apply glue and layer the pieces in 
about 10 minutes before placing them 
in a vacuum bag for four to five hours. 
The end result is a rectangular piece of 
wood, leaving students to decide the 
shape of their board. 

“We have some pretty crazy ones,” Snapp said. 
“Those boards are more sculptural. I’m not sure how 
functional it will be.” 

One of the ornate boards was made by Christy Vang 
of Morganton, who painted ice crystals, a lotus flower 
and a woman’s face and scale or feather-like upper 
torso in muted blues and purples, all freehand. “I like 
to personalize my art,” she said. “I don’t know how to 
ride, but I’m going to ride it.” 

Grant Chatham of Statesville is one of the 
experienced skaters in the class and also comes 
from a family of woodworkers. He has completed 
projects in ECU’s wood shop since his freshman 
year. He’s making three commissioned boards and a 
fourth for himself. 

He picked up skateboarding once he got to college 
because it’s easier than dealing with a bike, he said. 

“I mainly longboard,” said Chatham, a graphic 
design major. “It’s my main transportation to and 
from class. I like the freedom and I can get into 
smaller spaces with more agility.” 

For Snapp, he enjoys teaching the students how 
to make something they can use. “It’s a utilitarian 
thing. We’re giving them the idea that if they want 
something, they can make it and they don’t have to 
buy it,” he said. 

This is the third year that the School of Art and 
Design has offered a hands-on course giving students 
the opportunity to explore the intersection of art, craft, 
tradition and function, said director Kate Bukoski. 
Students previously made canoes and paddleboards. 

– Crystal Baity 
Above left, ECU senior 
Christy Vang and instructor 
Judd Snapp glue layers of 
veneer that will eventually 
become a skateboard. 
Above right, Camille 
Young sands the edge of a 
skateboard she made in a 
summer session 1 art class 
at ECU. 


ECU Report 

Corbett named 

Coastal Studies 
Institute director 

Reide Corbett is the new dean of integrated coastal 
programs and director of the Coastal Studies Institute. 

Corbett, a professor in the geology department 
and a faculty member since 2000, has served as head 
of CSI’s Coastal Processes Program since 2012. He 
has also served as chair of ECU’s Coastal Strategic 
Planning Committee, tasked with developing a 
comprehensive strategic plan for the university’s 
involvement in coastal research, instruction and 
outreach, including economic development, over the 
next decade. 

“ECU’s focus on its coastal enterprise, including 
resources at the Coastal Studies Institute, shows its 
continued commitment to the East,” Corbett said. 
“This commitment truly resonates with me, having 
grown up along our coast and having studied this 
system for the last two decades.”

 His research focuses on sedimentary and 
geochemical processes in coastal environments, the 
discharge of groundwater into the coastal zone, 
and coastal hazards and resilience. He was one of 

ECU geology professors J.P. Walsh, left, and Reide Corbett work 
with an instrument in a lab at the University of North Carolina 
Coastal Studies Institute. In August, Corbett was named dean of 
integrated coastal programs and director of the CSI. 


the founding faculty in ECU’s Coastal Resources 
Management doctoral program.

 Nancy White, the founding executive director of 
the Coastal Studies Institute, stepped down from the 
role in 2017.

 ECU is the administrative home of the CSI, which 
is in Wanchese on Roanoke Island. 

– Jules Norwood 
Team places third in 
NASA rover meet 

Evan Diener, Tanner Guin, Jameson 
Morris (standing from left) and Morgan 
Watkins and Andrew Grena (seated) 
of the College of Engineering and 
Technology placed third in the 2018 
Human Exploration Rover Challenge, held 
in April in Huntsville, Alabama. According 
to a NASA news release, the competition 
challenged high school and college teams 
to design, build and test human-powered 
roving vehicles inspired by the Apollo 
lunar missions and future exploration 
missions to the moon, Mars and beyond. 
This year’s competition challenged teams 
to complete 14 obstacles and five tasks 
throughout a half-mile course, with a six-
minute supply of “virtual” oxygen. ECU’s 
team was the only one to complete the 
entire course. The team’s participation in 
the competition was made possible by the 
North Carolina Space Grant. 


Alumni association 
now dues-free 


All ECU graduates are now 
considered full members of the ECU 
Alumni Association regardless of whether 
they’ve paid membership dues. 
ECU has joined a growing list of 
public institutions that have moved away 
from dues-based alumni associations, 
according to the university. ECU has 
more than 170,000 alumni. 

“The new model enhances 
engagement by removing the barriers 
to participation,” said Heath Bowman, 
associate vice chancellor for alumni 
relations. “Being more inclusive makes us 
a better resource for alumni and a more 
helpful partner to the university.” 

Under the new funding model, 
the association will rely on annual 
philanthropic support instead of 
membership dues. 

More information is at piratealumni.com. 

– ECU News Services 
Fall enrollment nears 29,000 

Jaalen Best moved into College Hill Suites on Aug. 14, hoping to avoid 
the rush of ECU move-in traffic before starting a new job at the campus 
recreation center. 

“I’m glad I did it early,” he said. 
The junior exercise physiology major from Clinton was the first in his 
suite, having hauled in all the necessities for a new school year. 

Best was among approximately 5,400 students who moved into residence 
halls over a four-day period. The fall semester began Aug. 20, and by census 
day Aug. 30, a total of 28,718 students were enrolled. 

Saiid Powers of Lumberton immediately connected to ECU. “When I 
came to campus, it felt like home,” he said. “It was far enough away to say 
I’m gone, but not too far.” 

After several years of record-setting freshman classes, total enrollment 

this year is slightly smaller than last year, said John Fletcher, ECU’s associate 
provost of enrollment 
services. The decrease can 
be attributed to increased 
competition from instate 
and out-of-state 
universities for students 
and a higher graduation 
rate, he said.

Saiid Powers 
Out of the 28,718 
ECU students, 
approximately 4,200 are 
freshmen and 1,750 are 
transfer students. 

– Crystal Baity 
Funding the future 

ECU continues to make progress on its comprehensive fundraising 
campaign. So far, $192 million has been raised, and the total continues to 
rise daily. 
Strong giving to ECU’s Main Campus helped the university raise $43.3 
million in fiscal year 2018. That included 33 endowments established by the 
ECU Foundation and 17 endowments established by the Medical & Health 
Sciences Foundation. 
In March, ECU’s second annual day of giving, Pirate Nation Gives, 
helped the university raise more than $500,000 in 24 hours, far surpassing 
last year’s $273,663. 
Each gift ECU receives brings the university one step closer to transforming 
its campus and providing the foundation to cultivate scholars and revolutionize 
research. Each gift is a commitment to improving the university, the lives of 
our students and the communities we serve.
*APPX. 
$192 MILLION* 
TOWARD CAMPAIGN ALREADY 
RAISED, PLEDGED OR COMMITTED 

Discovery Latest Investigations 
Climate effects on grouper reproduction 
Ozone and respiratory illness 
Study shows climate 
change may hinder 
fish conservation efforts 
For more than 20 years, conservationists in the 
Caribbean have been working to protect the endangered 
Nassau grouper. Thanks to those efforts, populations of 
this critical reef fish have stabilized in some areas. 
However, in a new paper by researchers from ECU and 
the University of Texas at Austin, marine scientists show Rebecca Asch 
climate change may severely hinder these conservation 
is one of 126 
efforts by the end of this century. 
recipients of the 
By 2100, breeding habitats are projected to decline by 
prestigious 2018 
82 percent from 2000 levels if nothing is done to mitigate 
Sloan Research climate change, according to the report published in the 
Fellowships for July issue of the journal Diversity and Distributions. These 
her work onspawning habitats are critical to the survival of the species. 
climate change Additionally, suitable habitats for non-spawning fish are 
and how it affects expected to decline by 46 percent. 
fish populations. “To truly understand how climate will impact fishes, 
we need to know how it will impact the most vulnerable 
life history stage – spawning. If this link in the life cycle is 
jeopardized, the species as a whole will be in jeopardy,” 
said Rebecca G. Asch, an assistant professor of fisheries 
biology at ECU. 
The Nassau grouper is one of the most recognizable 
reef fish in the Caribbean and, as a top predator, the fish 
contributes to the ecosystem and can act as a warning 
system for overall reef health. 
Nassau groupers depend on the success of their spawning 
aggregations, where hundreds to thousands of fish gather 
in one area for a few days to mate. These mass spawning 
events make them easy targets for fishers, and they were 
A Nassau grouper 
overfished to the point the species became endangered. 
Beginning in the 1990s, several countries, including the There is some good news, the scientists said. Mitigating 
United States, put outright bans on fishing Nassau grouper. climate change could slow the decline in breeding habitat 
Other countries, such as Cuba and the Dominican by only 30 percent. 
Republic, restrict fishing during their winter spawning The scientists plan to expand their research to look at 
season. Other areas have restricted fishing in specific how climate change may affect spawning in 12 species 
breeding grounds. of grouper and snapper in the Caribbean and the Pacific. 
The paper points out the narrow temperature range Their model could aid researchers in studying climate 
Nassau groupers can tolerate while spawning may create change impacts on other fish species that depend on 
a bottleneck that will impact population recovery. large spawning events. 
Large breeding events, called spawning aggregations, are The Nippon Foundation-Nereus Program and the 
important for the health of the ecosystem. Large predators, National Academy of Sciences Gulf Research Program 
such as sharks, feed on the gathered grouper. Whale sharks Early Career Fellowship funded the research. 
and manta rays feed on the eggs that are released. – ECU News Services/UT-Austin Communications 


Project examines link 
between pollution, 

respiratory problems 

Ground-level air pollution can cause a variety of health 
problems, and Kym Gowdy is taking a closer look at how 
and why. Her work, funded by a five-year, $2.5 million grant 
from the National Institutes of Health, could help decrease 
the frequency of respiratory infections such as pneumonia. 

“We know that when there are periods of high air 
pollution, people who are more exposed to that pollution 
are more susceptible to respiratory infections,” Gowdy said. 
“There are more hospitalizations for pneumonia around 
those times, and pneumonia is a huge concern to the U.S. 
and also other countries because we don’t have the best 
drugs to treat pneumonia, and some of our outcomes are 
pretty poor.” 

Gowdy is working to pinpoint the role of ozone exposure 
in respiratory infection. 

The focus of Gowdy’s work in the Brody School of 
Medicine’s Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology 
is on the mechanisms by which environmental exposures 
can lead to diseases of the lungs, cardiovascular system 
and immune system. Her current project centers on 
ozone, an air pollutant present in low concentrations 
throughout the ground-level atmosphere. As ozone levels 
increase due to rising temperatures, increasing vehicle 
traffic and other factors, it can damage mucous and 
respiratory tissues. 

More than one third of the U.S. population lives in 
areas exceeding regulatory standards for ozone, according 

Kym Gowdy is studying the effect of pollution on the immune system 
with help from $2.5 million from the National Institutes of Health. 

to the grant summary. While it has been shown to impact 
immune system response, the specific mechanisms and 
reasons remain poorly understood. 

“We have found that after … ozone exposure, we can 
detect red blood cell products in the lung, specifically 
hemoglobin,” she said. “What that hemoglobin can 
actually do, if it’s not cleared properly, is it can impair your 
immune system. Therefore, your immune system can’t fight 
off these respiratory pathogens as well.” 

Using animal models and human samples, Gowdy’s lab 
is studying how immune cells can handle pathogens before 
and after ozone exposure. 

Gowdy came to ECU in 2014 and has been recognized 
by the American Association of Immunologists with a 
Young Investigator Award and a Travel for Techniques 
Award. Her project was recognized by the NIH as the top 
priority for funding in its study section. 

Ozone concentrations are highest in more populated 
areas with high levels of traffic and industrial sources. 
Since it is formed by the interaction of sunlight with those 
emissions, levels can increase during hot weather. Gowdy 
said people susceptible to respiratory infections should try 
to avoid exposure. 

“Just keep an eye on the air quality, and if you are 
someone who has a pre-existing lung disease or even 
cardiovascular disease, try to limit exposure outside when 
there are high levels of ozone in the atmosphere,” she said. 

– Jules Norwood 

Focus 

Chris Balakrishnan 

Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences 
Biologist and founder of Nerd Nite 

Nerd Nite lets scientists spread their wings 

You could do a live, local take-off on the popular TV talent show and call it 

America’s Got Science ” That is if it didn’t already exist with an even cooler name 
Nerd Nite 
Yep Science people rhapsodizing about their field studies and electron 

microscopes All thanks to Chris Balakrishnan, assistant professor of biology 
at ECU, who developed the idea in 2003 while he was a graduate student at 
Boston University 

Balakrishnan would leave town for a few months to do research, and when he’d 
get back, his friends at the bar he frequented wanted to know where he’d been 
After hearing about it, one of the bartenders suggested he give a talk at the bar 

Balakrishnan realized it would be a good way to tell people what he and other 
scientists did Now, Nerd Nites are held in more than 100 cities across the globe 
I didn’t think it would expand to multiple cities and multiple countries,” 
Balakrishnan said For something to stay relevant for 15 years, that’s surprising 
Locally, presenters have ranged from their 20s to their 70s and have 
talked about everything from hot sauce to turkey hunting These days, 
Balakrishnan lets students handle local Nerd Nites (held at Tapped 
on Fire Tower Road) 
As I turn into an old codger, maybe it could be 
better to let younger people run it,” he says 
Chequita Brooks, a biology doctoral 
student, is the local Nerd Nite boss, or 
organizer It’s a vague name It’s spelled 
wrong,” she said with a laugh OK, that 
doesn’t sound like it would be too much 
fun But you get there, and some of the 
speakers are incredibly charismatic, 
and they’re talking about something 
they’re very passionate about 
She also said “it’s really cool” to 

be at ECU with Balakrishnan I kind 
of brag about it sometimes when 
I talk to other Nerd Nite bosses,” 

she said

 Nerd Nite can also help a 
scientist’s career, Balakrishnan 
said For example, the 

National Science Foundation 
emphasizes public 
communication and outreach 

For me, it has really 
helped,” he said One 
of the things I’ve gotten 
good at … is explaining my 

research in English without 
so much jargon 

– Doug Boyd 

Dr. Leigh Patterson, 

associate dean for faculty 
development at the Brody School 
of Medicine, has been named a 
2018–2019 Hedwig van Ameringen 
Executive Leadership in Academic 
Medicine fellow. The international 
fellowship recognizes her potential 
for executive leadership in academic 
medicine. The ELAM program is 
a yearlong, part-time fellowship 
for women faculty in schools of 
medicine, dentistry, public health 
and pharmacy. 

Margaret Bauer, a professor of English, Rives Chair of Southern Literature and editor 
of the North Carolina Literary Review, has received the 2018 John Tyler Caldwell Award for 
the Humanities, given by the North Carolina Humanities Council. The award, which has been 
presented annually since 1990, pays tribute to individuals whose life and work illuminate 
one or more of the multiple dimensions where humanities come into play: civic, personal, 
intellectual and moral. 


Edward Jacobs, a professor of 
composition and theory at the School 
of Music, has received a Guggenheim 
Foundation Fellowship. The fellowship is 
designed to assist in research in any field 
of knowledge and creation in any of the 
arts under the freest possible conditions. 
Jacobs is the first ECU faculty member 
to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship, 
which will support the completion of 
several commissioned works of original 
music. Approximately 170 fellows were 
chosen from more than 3,000 applicants 
last year. Jacobs is founder and director 
of the North Carolina NewMusic Initiative 
and is the Robert L. Jones Distinguished 
Professor of Music. 


STORY BY ERIN SHAW 

‘ BIG BOY’ 
BALL
Dooley brings a new day for men’s basketball 
In April, ECU’s new head men’s basketball coach 
Joe Dooley met with his players and asked them 
a question: Did they know their ring sizes? He 
was referring, of course, to the big bling players 
get after a championship has been won and the 
confetti cleaned up. 

It was a bold question for a team that doesn’t 
have room for much besides improvement. But 
Dooley wants to be aggressive and ambitious 
from the get-go. 


WE HAVE TO GET A 
LITTLE BIT OF A SWAGGER 
AND A LITTLE BIT OF AN 
EDGE BACK THERE’S NOT 
A LOT OF CONFIDENCE 
RIGHT NOW, AND COMING 
OFF OF LAST SEASON, I CAN 
SEE WHY,” HE SAYS “THE 
BIG THING IS BUILDING 
CONFIDENCE 

DOOLEY IS 
HAPPY TO 
BE BACK IN 
A COLLEGE 
TOWN, BACK 
WHERE HIS 
PARENTS LIVE, 
AND HAPPY 
TO SEE WHAT’S 
POSSIBLE IN 
GREENVILLE 
THE SECOND 
TIME AROUND 


In 1995 when he was named to his first 
stint at the helm of ECU men’s basketball at 
age 29, Dooley was the youngest head coach 
in Division I. 


Dooley directs practice at 
the Smith-Williams Center. 
The Pirates finished 10-20 last season under the 
direction of interim head coach Michael Perry, 
who took over after Jeff Lebo resigned six games 
into the season. 

Dooley, by contrast, led Florida Gulf Coast 
University to five consecutive 20-win seasons and 
five conference titles. He was ECU’s head coach 
from 1995 to 1999 and has returned having 
agreed to a five-year contract. He says he’s happy 
to be back in a college town, back where his 
parents live, and happy to see what’s possible in 
Greenville the second time around. 

On a hot June morning a few months into 
his post, he takes a seat behind the desk in his 
sparsely decorated yet spacious second-floor office 
with a crow’s nest view of the team’s practice 
court. It’s the same desk where he’ll map out 
a new era of Pirate basketball. But for now, he 
stashes his breakfast and speaks candidly about 
how things are going so far. 

“Anytime you take a new job, there’s an 
adjustment period. We’re making some progress,” 
he says, adding, “there’s a lot of work to do.” He 
has a saying: Anytime you move into a new house, 
there’s bound to be dust under the rug. You just 
have to figure out how big the pile of dust is. 

Dooley is ready to do some sweeping. 


Building a reputation 

Dooley, 52, is a native of West Orange, New Jersey, 
and a graduate of George Washington University, 
where he was a four-year basketball letter-winner 
and team captain his senior year. He has a thin 
frame, light blue eyes, slicked back hair and a 
matter-of-fact way of speaking. He and his wife, 
Tanya, have a son named Max. His coaching career 
started in 1988 as an assistant for the University of 
South Carolina Gamecocks under George Felton. 
He worked there alongside Eddie Payne and 
three-time national coach-of-the-year Tubby Smith 
before accompanying Payne to Greenville. 

He took over from Payne as ECU’s head coach 
in 1995. At 29, he was the youngest head coach 
in NCAA Division I men’s basketball. He led the 
Pirates to their only top-three finish during their 
15-year membership in the Colonial Athletic 
Association. After ECU, he spent three years at the 
University of New Mexico (1999-2002), a year 
at Wyoming (2002-2003) and 10 seasons with 
Bill Self at Kansas University. He won a national 
championship as an assistant coach at KU in 2008 
and helped the Jayhawks earn another Final Four 
berth in 2012. He also earned a reputation as a 
talented recruiter, having recruited or coached 14 
NBA draft picks in his time at KU, including nine 
first-round selections. 

“There are a lot of factors that go into recruiting 
that you have to consider,” Dooley says. For 
ECU, one of the factors is perception. “We’ve 
got good facilities, we’ve got a good alumni base, 
we’ve just got to get guys on campus,” and show 
them the Pirates’ potential, he adds. 

Si Seymour, who has been the broadcast analyst 
for ECU men’s basketball for 20 years, says Dooley 
is synonymous with finding good players all over 
the country. “He has a good eye for talent. He’s been 
successful where he’s been. I think he’s in the prime 
of his career,” Seymour says. “He understands what 
we are, and we are fortunate to have him.” 

There’s a recruiting misconception that the 
ACC owns the state, Seymour says. 

“The ACC is a top basketball conference in the 
country, but that means they recruit all over the 
country,” he says. “There are a lot of good players 
in this state that are going elsewhere that could be a 
major factor in ECU’s success. Joe will be recruiting 
North Carolina extremely hard,” Seymour says. 


HE KNOWS ECU, HE KNOWS 
EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA, HE 
KNOWS THE FAN BASE JOE’S TASK 
IS MUCH GREATER THAN THE NORM 
IN THAT WE SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE A 
BASKETBALL TRADITION AT ECU 
Dave Hart, athletics director from 1987 to 1995 
and special athletics advisor to the chancellor 

From left, Dooley, ECU Chancellor Cecil Staton and Dave Hart, special 
advisor for athletics, pose at the April 4 news conference to announce Dooley’s 
return to Greenville. 



Reaction to Dooley’s hiring among fans, players 
and students has been positive. Dave Hart, athletics 
director from 1987 to 1995 and special athletics 
advisor to Chancellor Cecil Staton, says Dooley 
was absolutely the best fit for the job. “He knows 
ECU, he knows eastern North Carolina, he knows 
the fan base,” Hart says, adding the caveat, “Joe’s 
task is much greater than the norm in that we 
simply do not have a basketball tradition at ECU.” 

Season ticket holder Reid Tyler ’80 drives 
from Raleigh to attend most games and says he’s 
noticed a subdued atmosphere in the last few 
years. He – and everyone interviewed for this 
story – says Minges Coliseum is an electric and 
intimidating place for opponents when it’s full, 
but that hasn’t been happening in recent seasons. 

“To me, Dooley looks like our best hire in a long 
time,” Tyler says. “I think the early enthusiasm will 
hopefully beget more enthusiasm.” 

One of the goals for student body president 
Jordan Koonts is to get students to show up and 
stay at games. “If students show up in force, it will 
set an example for alumni and other fans. If the 
students are behind the team, it says others should 
back them as well,” Koonts says. 

Hart says another problem is that fans might 
not realize how competitive the American Athletic 
Conference is. Three programs – Cincinnati, 
Houston and Wichita State – earned NCAA 
tournament bids this year. Houston has been 
to five Final Fours. Memphis is considered 
a traditional power. And Temple is the fifthwinningest 
program in the country. 

Dooley calls it a “big-boy conference.” 

“We’re in a great league, and we’ve got to help 
ourselves, and our fans have to help us, too,” he says. 
“We’ve got to put a product on the court that our 
fans are proud of. We’ve got to create some interest 
in our program and get our fans in here.” 

Part of the plan is to play more aggressive 
basketball. Houston, Cincinnati and Wichita 
State – the likely teams to beat for next year’s 
conference title – are playing with highly skilled, 
athletic players, and when the Pirates meet them 


Joe Dooley has his players

SEE 

working hard to compete 
against the best that college 

THE 

VIDEO 

basketball has to offer 
https://bit ly/2LbvkMO 

on the court, “we need to not back down,” 
Dooley says. 

A successful basketball program can have a 
positive ripple effect on the whole university. 
There’s even a term for it: basketball bump. 
According to a recent education data analysis by 
Bloomberg, schools that perform well or better 
than expected during the NCAA tournament 
receive an increase in public awareness, 
applications and donations. Wichita State 
University saw a 29 percent application increase 
after its Final Four appearance in 2013. When 
Florida Gulf Coast upset Georgetown that same 
year, Google searches for the school spiked to 
about triple the norm. And a trip to the 2018 
Final Four for Loyola-Chicago resulted in a 660 
percent increase in donations as compared to the 
previous year, the report says. 

The last time ECU was in the NCAA 
tournament was 1993. 

“When you have a clean, successful, well-
managed program, it helps the whole university,” 
Hart says. “And when that program wins 
consistently, it helps enrollment and it helps shape 
people’s attitudes.” 


Seth LeDay dribbles 
during practice in the 
Smith-Williams Center. 


Doing the work 

It’s the early afternoon in the Smith-Williams 
Center, and players filter onto the court for 
practice. They run through quick cuts and drives 
to the hoop as Dooley watches from center court, 
his assistants orbiting. Dooley leans forward as if 
to better see every move, occasionally stopping 
the action to correct a player, with the exasperated 
additive, “It’s not that hard!” They do pushups 
whenever they miss a shot. 

Returning players include guards Isaac 
Fleming, Shawn Williams and K.J. Davis, 
wing Seth LeDay and forwards Dimitrije 
Spasojevic and Justin Whatley. 

Davis, a 6-6 forward from Portsmouth, 
Virginia, says he never considered leaving ECU 


HE HAS A GOOD EYE 
FOR TALENT HE’S BEEN 
SUCCESSFUL WHERE HE’S 
BEEN I THINK HE’S IN THE 
PRIME OF HIS CAREER 
HE UNDERSTANDS WHAT 
WE ARE, AND WE ARE 
FORTUNATE TO HAVE HIM 
Si Seymour, broadcast analyst for ECU 
men’s basketball 

after the coaching change. “It’s been a great 
transition. I think everybody likes (Dooley). We’re 
still getting to know him, and he’s still getting 
to know us, but we’re learning a lot from him,” 
Davis says. 

Williams, a 6-0 guard from Little Rock, 
Arkansas, who led all conference freshmen in 
scoring last season, adds that Dooley’s effort to 
make them more confident is working. 

“We’re all buying into the plan. He’s telling 
us to work hard, and that’s what we’re doing,” 
Williams says. “Next season, I want to make 
the tournament, win our conference and make 
history at ECU.” 

Both players are looking forward to more wins 
next season. Dooley is, too. Probably more than 
most people expect. 

“I’ve been to 19 straight postseason 
tournaments. I don’t want that streak to break,” 
he says frankly. While others advise patience with 
the program’s transition, Dooley contends that 
patience “isn’t a virtue” with him. 

“If you don’t think big, how are you going to end 
up big? Isn’t that why we play?” he asks. “If you 
don’t talk about going to the NCAA tournament, 
you probably shouldn’t play or coach. I think our 
fans deserve good basketball. We’re going to work 
every day to give it to them.” 


Dooley instructs Justin 
Whatley during a June 
workout. 

ECU’S ONLY 
RESIDENTIAL STUDY 
ABROAD PROGRAM 
MARKS 10 YEARS IN 
CERTALDO ALTO 
TuscanyLIVING, LEARNING IN 
ECU’S ONLY 
RESIDENTIAL STUDY 
ABROAD PROGRAM 
MARKS 10 YEARS IN 
CERTALDO ALTO 
TuscanyLIVING, LEARNING IN 

STORY BY JEANNINE MANNING HUTSON 


On a 500-year-old brick courtyard, 
22 East Carolina University students 
are practicing their poses in yoga class 
while the hilltop village of Certaldo 
Alto wakes up. Birds are chirping in the 
distance and the sun is rising over the 
rolling green hills of Tuscany. 

A group of preschoolers walks by two-by-two holding hands 
with their classmates. They chatter in Italian while staring at 
the Americans on their colorful mats. 

Later, the students will fan out with their cameras and 
sketchbooks in hand for market day in the larger city of Certaldo 
Bosso, its 12,000 residents located below Certaldo Alto. 

This is what Linda Darty envisioned when she dreamed of 
establishing an ECU campus in Tuscany – the students live and 
study in Italy. They aren’t just tourists checking sites off their 
list; they live among Italians and have Italian landlords. 


Darty is director of the ECU Tuscany program, 
which was originally named Italy Intensives, and 
professor of metal design in the School of Art and 
Design. She sits in a work room in the Palazzo 
Stiozzi-Ridolfi, which in the early 15th century 
held the market in its porticoed courtyard. Today, 
the building houses ECU’s classrooms downstairs 
with student and staff housing upstairs. 

Above Darty’s work table, pinned to the room 
divider is “Congrats on 10 years” spelled out in 
hand-cut large letters over a purple-and-gold 
ECU pennant and an image of the Tuscan hillside 
printed on fabric with signatures of previous 
students framing it. The students presented it to 
Darty at the end of a spring semester of classes. 

“I really want the students to have that 
transformative experience that I did when I was 
21 years old and studied abroad. It stays with you 
all of your life,” Darty says. “You don’t even know 
what it is; you internalize it. Then you suddenly 
look at the world in a different way. You begin to 
ask questions you would have never asked before.” 

What started in 2008 as a summer abroad trip 
is now a year-round program in Certaldo Alto, a 
walled medieval village that in the early 15th century 
was the political center of the Florentine Republic. 

Today, the “unofficial mayor” of Certaldo Alto, 
Elio Ansaldo, proudly tells hikers and tourists 
visiting his village that it is also home to “the East 
Carolina University.” 

The students, he says, using an Italian phrase, 
“bring the wind of youth.” They can be seen 
walking along the bricked streets to and from 
class and ducking into alleys to head to their 
apartments or local restaurants for lunch. Their 
youthful energy along with their financial boost are 
beneficial to the village, which looks like it could be 
a movie set instead of home to 150 residents. 

Since that first group arrived in summer 2008, 
more than 800 students have studied in Italy as 
part of the program. 

Study abroad at ECU 

Jon Rezek, assistant vice chancellor for Global 
Affairs, arrived at ECU in January 2017 and has 
been tasked with raising the profile and numbers 
of ECU’s global affairs office. 

During the 2016-2017 academic year, 586 
ECU students participated in an international 
experience. That number rose 19.8 percent in 
2017-2018 to 702, according to global affairs 
data. But there’s more to be done to provide 


With Linda Darty looking 
on, Alison Moller translates 
the Latin inscription outside 
of the Palazzo Pretorio in 
Certaldo Alto, which was 
the seat of political power 
in the early 15th century 
in Tuscany. A senior in the 
Honors College, Moller, 
of Cary, is majoring in 
chemistry, classical studies 
and great books. 
Above, one of the historic apartments in Certaldo 
Alto that students live in. Right, Jon Rezek, 
assistant vice chancellor for global affairs, left, 
speaks with Linda Darty, director of the ECU 
Tuscany program, and Elio Ansaldo, longtime 
resident of Certaldo Alto. 



Top, photography 
students edit images on 
their computers while 
instructor Jim Abbott 
prepares for the class 
critique. Below, sophomore 
Wesley Sanchez of 
Greenville waits to see 
what the jester has in 
store for him during a 
Renaissance-themed dinner 
at Palazzo Borghese in 
Florence. 
more students the opportunity to study beyond 
Greenville, Rezek says. 

Chancellor Cecil Staton often speaks to 
students about how his time in England at the 
University of Oxford while earning his doctorate 
helped shape his life. 

“It’s important to remember that you can 
study abroad and graduate in four years,” Rezek 
says. “We have full-semester programs; students 
can take classes in the humanities, business and 
health sciences. And we have shorter terms – 35 
to 40 summer programs most often led by ECU 
faculty members.” 

ECU Tuscany is the university’s only program 
with a year-round permanent facility abroad and 
three dedicated staff members. Six to eight ECU 
faculty members join them for each semester. 

The University of North Carolina system has 
two residential programs abroad – ECU Tuscany 
and the N.C. State European Center in Prague. 


I WISH I HAD 
STUDIED ABROAD IT’S 
TRANSFORMATIVE I’VE 
NEVER HEARD A STUDENT 
SAY, ‘I WISH I HAD STAYED 
ON CAMPUS ’ 
Jon Rezek, assistant vice chancellor 
for global affairs 

Left, Kelsey Cudahy of Matthews, who is 
majoring in animation, takes in the 14th 
century Gothic art inside the duomo in San 
Gimignano. 


The picturesque 
harbor of Vernazza, 
one of the five small 
villages that make 
up Cinque Terre, a 
UNESCO World 
Heritage Site since 
1997, on the Italian 
Riveria. 


BEING ABROAD SHOWED ME THAT THERE ARE SO 
MANY PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS OUT IN THIS 
WORLD TO EXPLORE, THAT TUNNEL-VISIONING 
YOURSELF INTO ONE HOBBY, PASSION OR JOB ONLY 
HINDERS YOUR GROWTH 
Emma O’Brien, EC Scholar 

“I wish I had studied abroad,” says Rezek. “It’s 
transformative. I’ve never heard a student say, ‘I 
wish I had stayed on campus.’” 

In mid-May, Rezek visited the ECU Tuscany 
site for the first time and was impressed. 

“It’s a safe environment. They travel to Florence, 
Sienna, Venice, Rome and then come back to 
Certaldo Alto, where everyone knows each other. 
It’s comfortable here,” he says. 

He also noted the level of dedication by the 
faculty and staff toward the students and the 
program itself. 

“The faculty members and staff get to know 
the students, mentor them when they are here. 
It’s a tight-knit community; the city embraces the 
students. It’s a great program for them as well,” 
Rezek says. 

EC Scholar Emma O’Brien studied in Italy 
during the spring semester, which was her first 
time in Europe. In summer 2017, O’Brien 
participated in a monthlong study abroad 
program in Australia and New Zealand, which she 
said was a great experience and set the bar high 
for her semester in Certaldo. The five months in 
Tuscany surpassed her expectations. 

“I did not realize all of the amazing things we 
were going to get to do during our semester in 
Italy. Almost every weekend we were traveling to 


about 
ECU Tuscany 


COST OF TUITION 

Since program fees include tuition and housing, it’s often less 
expensive to study in Tuscany. “It is such a bargain,” says Linda 
Darty, director of the program, adding they aim to make it as 
affordable as possible for every student. Two scholarships are 
available for students accepted into the ECU Tuscany program. 

CLASSES 

Classes vary each term and include courses to earn general 
education requirements, such as world history, art history, 
literature, Italian language, geology, digital photography, 
drawing, color and design, jewelry making and painting. 

“Courses are chosen for the program that take advantage of 
our location in Tuscany. Geology students climb to the top of 
Mount Vesuvius and into the caves of Lucca. History students 
walk through the Roman Colosseum and ruins of Pompeii. And 

literature and art history students can walk in the footsteps of 
Plato, Da Vinci, Michelangelo and live next door to the writer 
Giovanni Boccaccio’s house,” Darty says. 

LIVING 

Students live in historic apartments – fully renovated and 
equipped with modern appliances – near the classrooms in 
Certaldo Alto. And on days when classes are held, the students 
dine with faculty and staff as part of the community building. 
The cost of both is included in the student’s tuition and fees. 

TRAVEL 

On weekends and semester breaks, students can travel 
independently or with classmates throughout Italy and other 
European countries. 



different parts of the country, touring amazing 
museums, having classes in engaging environments 
and meeting interesting people,” she says. 

The junior business management major from 
the town of Wake Forest also challenged herself 
by taking three studio art classes. “My favorite 
class, metal design, showed me that I do have a 
more creative side. … Being abroad showed me 
that there are so many people, places and things 
out in this world to explore, that tunnel-visioning 
yourself into one hobby, passion or job only 
hinders your growth.” 


Above, students in the second summer 2018 
session pose on one of the more than 400 
bridges, which cross more than 150 canals, 
in Venice. The students often tell Linda 
Darty, the director of the ECU Tuscany 
program, that Venice is one of their favorite 
cities to explore. Above right, junior Brooke 
DiGregorio of Mahopac, New York, listens 
during a class. 


I REALLY WANT THE 
STUDENTS TO HAVE 
THAT TRANSFORMATIVE 
EXPERIENCE THAT I DID 
WHEN I WAS 21 YEARS 
OLD AND STUDIED 
ABROAD IT STAYS WITH 
YOU ALL OF YOUR LIFE 
Linda Darty, director of the 
ECU Tuscany program 


STAFF 

Since that first summer study abroad trip in 2008, Darty has been 
the director of ECU Tuscany, formerly called Italy Intensives. She 
studied in Italy as an undergraduate in the 1970s and dreamed of 
taking her ECU students not only to see the Italian masterpieces 
but also to experience Italy firsthand. Darty does everything from 
teaching art history and jewelry design to giving a maternal hug 
to a homesick student on those first days. 

“When students arrive in Italy, they are not sure what to 
expect,” she says. “They come here and experience not only a 
bonding experience as students together from ECU, but they 
realize not only are we very different from the culture in Italy, 
but we are all very much alike. I see them grow up and change. 
They know more about themselves.” 

In addition to Darty, Stuart Watson, a photographer in 
Philadelphia for many years, is on site as assistant director, 

managing the facilities and finances, helping the students 
with everything from navigating the local Coop grocery store 
to contacting landlords about broken water heaters. He also 
archives the program. 

Lucy Plato Clark arrived in Certaldo as a student in 2011; she 
stayed in Florence completing her jewelry design degree. Clark’s 
ability to switch between fluent Italian and English in a single 
conversation and knowledge of the Italian culture are invaluable, 
Darty says. When she’s not organizing the multi-layers of logistics 
for class trips to Florence or Rome, she is also a photographer. 

Working closely with the staff is assistant Francesca Maddalena, 
who grew up not far from Certaldo Alto; her artist father, Pietro 
Elia Maddalena, whose nearby pottery studio brings students from 
around the world to study with him, helped Darty solidify the initial 
plan to bring students to Tuscany. 



Born into a builder family, 
Marnie Oursler ’01 traded 
her softball cleats for a 
hard hat and now builds 
spectacular beach homes on 
the DIY Network. 


STORY BY ERIN SHAW 

Marnie Oursler’s 


The 2001 alumna’s beach homes are prime time 


hen Marnie Oursler was at East 
Carolina University, she packed her days with 
softball practices, sorority activities and a job at a 
real estate office, where she’d run around Greenville 
snapping photos of houses for the agency’s website. 

She’s still just as busy, only now she’s juggling her 
own business, Marnie Custom Homes, and a TV 
show on the DIY Network, “Big Beach Builds.” 

“My days are kinda crazy,” she says. “If we’re 
filming, the days are long – 15 hours easily. I’m out 
on job sites all the time, or going over blueprints or 
kitchen designs. The one constant is work.” 

On “Big Beach Builds,” Oursler transforms dated 
homes along the Delaware coast into her clients’ 
fantasy beach retreats. The series aired in 2017 and 
is in its second season. On the show, Oursler can 
do it all, from foundation fixes to finishing design 
touches. Her favorite part – like any home repair 
show fan – is the big reveal at the end when clients 
see the jaw-dropping end product. 

“Seeing their reactions – most of these homes 
are a dream come true for clients,” she says. 

In one episode this season, Chris and Nancy 
Brown look to Oursler to expand and lighten up 
their beach abode’s unwelcoming exterior and 
cramped kitchen. 

Oursler jumps to work, using a pink spray can to 
mark items for demolition. Then she and her crew 

rip up planks, smash walls with sledgehammers and 
level the sinking front porch. The dark brown siding 
is replaced with white vinyl and cedar shingles. The 
kitchen is gussied up with a big island, wet bar and 
open shelving. The dining room wall is pushed out 
to accommodate a huge table made from a single 
slab of oak and illuminated by a custom-built light 
shaped like a boat. 

The result is clean, contemporary and 
bright. When the Browns arrive to see the 
transformation, they gasp with delight. 

“You nailed it,” Chris Brown tells Oursler. 

“It looks fabulous. Love it. Love it,” Nancy 
Brown adds. She and her husband beam at the 
camera. Nancy continues, “You know Marnie is 
good, but you don’t realize how good she is until 
you really come in and open your eyes to the 
surprise and see it.” 

Oursler grew up in a family of builders. Her father, 
grandfather, uncles and brother made careers in the 
industry. She spent summers in the Washington, 
D.C., area working for her dad as a job site laborer, 
sweeping out houses, picking up trash and eating 
lunch on an upturned drywall bucket. 

“It was nothing glamorous,” Oursler says, but it 
instilled in her a valuable work ethic. She’s still the 
first one on the job site to pick up a broom or stay 
late and does “whatever it takes” to get the job done. 



Oursler grew up in a family of builders Her father, 
grandfather, uncles and brother all made careers in 
the industry She spent summers in the Washington, 

D C , area working for her dad as a job site laborer, 
sweeping out houses, picking up trash and eating 
lunch on an upturned drywall bucket 
A softball scholarship brought her to ECU, 
where she played shortstop and graduated in 2001 
with a degree in business education. 

“We were all for it,” her father, Marvin Oursler, 
says of his daughter’s college choice. His older 
daughter attended Elon but visited ECU when 
considering schools. For Marnie, “ECU was the 
right place at the right time,” he says. 

Oursler would often make the five-hour trip 
from southern Maryland to Greenville to watch 
his daughter’s softball games. “She gave the sport 
everything she had,” he says. 

Jenny Parsons, the assistant softball coach 
during Marnie Oursler’s playing days, says she 
recently saw her on TV and thought, “Holy cow, 
there’s my shortstop.” But she wasn’t surprised. 

“You could always tell she was going to be 
successful,” Parsons says. “She was a dedicated 
athlete, a hard worker but also had a great 
personality. She did a lot for our program.” 

Through it all, Oursler stayed focused, 
organized and grounded. 

“She’s always juggling two or three things at 
one time. That’s how she’s built, I guess,” Marvin 
Oursler says. 

After ECU, she got her master’s in business 
administration from Duke University’s Fuqua 
School of Business. She worked as a real estate agent 
before starting Marnie Custom Homes, combining 
her construction know-how with a knack for style 
combinations that ooze calmness and relaxation. Her 


WATCH 
THE 
SHOW 

“Big Beach Builds” airs 
on the DIY Network 
Mondays at 8 p m 

custom home business builds around seven houses 
a year for $8-9 million in annual revenue. In 2014, 
she was approached by TV producers for a potential 
series, which became “Big Beach Builds.” 

Oursler’s father and brother are guest 
consultants on the show, helping her combat the 
unique challenges that come with building and 
renovating beach homes. 

“Weather is the main issue,” she says. Being so 
close to the water means understanding flood zones 
and hurricanes, where the rain and water are going 
to go and making sure houses can withstand that. 

Episodes often feature materials and techniques 

– using an underlayment beneath shingles to help 
with ventilation or a deck with mold-resistant 
composite planks – that beach-savvy builders need 
to think about. 
Oursler’s father says these tips are part of what 
make the show fun to watch. “If you look at the 
show, you see how Marnie really understands the 
building process. You can learn something from it.” 

Even though cameras are rolling, Oursler says 
her main focus is always the clients and making 
sure she’s doing everything she can for them, 
not the show. She helps them navigate decisions 
regarding color palettes and finishes and keeps 
the construction on schedule whenever they 
change their minds. The clients also provide the 
design inspiration, although Oursler’s work often 
combines modern coastal and traditional styles. 

“No matter what, I know the end product is 
going to be good,” she says. 

Oursler has received a number of accolades, 
including Professional Builder magazine’s 40 Under 
40 Award, a Strong, Smart & Bold Award from 
Girls Inc., and a gold 2013 Stevie Award for 
Women in Business in the category of Female 
Entrepreneur of the Year. 

While the show and her business remain in 
Delaware, Oursler returns to North Carolina for 
work on the Duke business school’s board. And 
she still keeps in touch with her ECU friends 
from Chi Omega and the softball team. 

“ECU was definitely one of the best things that 
ever happened to me,” Oursler says. “I had a great 
experience there and met so many amazing people. 
It was definitely a special place for me.” 


Oursler as a Pirate. 


Whether it’s an 
outdated existing 
house such as this one 
in Rehoboth Beach, 
Delaware, or new 
construction, Oursler’s 
company, Marnie 
Custom Homes, creates 
masterpieces. 
Watch this one transform 
at bit.ly/2MujdKu. 

STUDENT SNAPSHOT 

Adam O’Connor 


Hometown: Mobile, Alabama 

Major: Fourth-year medical student at the Brody 
School of Medicine 
Career goals: Become an emergency medicine 

physician with a fellowship in sports medicine 

After a standout career as a defensive end at William & 

Mary, O’Connor played professional football for the 

Minnesota Vikings, the Hamburg Sea Devils of NFL 

Europe and the Carolina Panthers. Now, he’s completing 

medical school at ECU. 

Why did you choose ECU? 

I really appreciated the sense of camaraderie that was 
apparent when I interviewed. Such a dynamic is not always 
as fundamental to other medical schools. Additionally, I 
was impressed at the level of community awareness and 
engagement exhibited by ECU, particularly Brody. 

What service activities are you involved in as a 
medical student? 

The students of Brody have a great relationship with the 
Greenville Community Shelter Clinic, allowing us to 
engage with folks in the community from the first day we 
step foot on campus all the way through to graduation 
and beyond. I’ve also had the opportunity on a number 
of occasions to speak with elementary and high school 
students about medical school and my own path. 

What other activities are you involved in? 

School definitely predominates my life, but in the hours I 
have free, I enjoy working out, playing hockey and cooking. 

How have your experiences as a football player 
helped you succeed in medical school? 

Through football came the recognition that success in 
any endeavor is rarely attained overnight, but rather is the 
product of countless hours of work behind the scenes. A 
career in medicine is no different. There are no shortcuts to 
success in medicine, only a lot of hard work and dues to pay. 


Look for 
the label 
This tag indicates 
official merchandise 
Where 
to buy 
Online 
shop ecupirates com 
Find retailers 
ecu edu/licensing 
Look for 
the label 
This tag indicates 
official merchandise 
Where 
to buy 
Online 
shop ecupirates com 
Find retailers 
ecu edu/licensing 
Buying officially 

licensed ECU products 
supports the Pirates 


One of the strongest traditions at ECU is showing your pride by 
wearing and displaying your favorite purple and gold products. From 
apparel, tailgate tents and flags, to blankets, bags, picture frames and 
jewelry, you can find it branded for Pirate Nation. 
Loyal Pirate fans should look for the “official licensed products” label 
when shopping at your favorite retail outlets. The officially licensed 
products label confirms the university has approved the product, and 
royalties derived from the sale support the Pirates. 

When looking for officially licensed ECU products, try our online store, 
shop.ECUPirates.com, or visit one of our retailers. More information is at 
ecupirates.com/sports/2016/7/5/trademark-licensing.aspx and 
ecu.edu/cs-admin/licensing/RetailersNew.cfm. 

ECU was a national leader when it established its trademark licensing 
program in 1983 to protect the use of its name and symbols. The 
university has established formal licensing procedures that also enable 
the institution to share in the benefits derived from the commercial use 
of its name and symbols. 

Remember, every Friday is a ‘Paint It Purple’ Friday for all of Pirate 
Nation to show your pride by wearing purple and gold wherever you go. 

For more information, please contact the ECU Trademark Licensing 
Office at 252-737-1508. 

– ECU Athletics 

BARTELS ’03 CHANNELS THE ’70S, 
FEMALE POWER IN ‘AMERICAN WOMAN’ 
BARTELS ’03 CHANNELS THE ’70S, 
FEMALE POWER IN ‘AMERICAN WOMAN’ 
From left, Jennifer Bartels ’03 stars with Alicia Silverstone and 
Mena Suvari in “American Woman” on the Paramount Network. 


PIRATE NATION 


With her starring role in Paramount Network’s new 
dramedy “American Woman” alongside Alicia Silverstone 
and Mena Suvari, actress and Raleigh native Jennifer 
Bartels ’03 is enjoying a well-deserved moment in the 
spotlight that’s been years in the making. 

The show is set in 1975 Los Angeles and follows 
three women struggling with relationships and 
independence in an era when strong women weren’t 
the norm. It was inspired by the upbringing of co-
executive producer and “The Real Housewives of 
Beverly Hills” reality star Kyle Richards. 

Bartels, a Millbrook High School graduate, plays 
Diana, a junior loan officer at a bank who is trying 
to climb the corporate ladder. She’s a close friend 
of Silverstone’s character, Bonnie, a housewife who 
must navigate finding a job and managing finances 
after leaving her cheating husband. Suvari’s character, 
Kathleen, is a wealthy businesswoman bankrolling her 
boyfriend’s career. 

“Diana is the friend dealing with the working grind 
and some levels of misogyny,” Bartels says. “She’s 
figuring out who she is as a woman and a person.” 

Bartels studied articles and documentaries to better 
embody Diana and the ’70s vibe. 

“We tried to educate ourselves to understand the 
perspective of those women. It shows that we have come 
far, but still have far to go,” she says. 

Bartels learned acting fundamentals at ECU and 
studied the Meisner acting technique, which stresses 
spontaneity and honest reactions. She says professors 
Natalie Stewart, Robert Caprio and the late John 
Shearin were integral to her career. “They instilled that 
drive you need to have in this industry and taught me to 
be prepared, because if you aren’t, there’s someone right 
behind you ready to go,” she says. “They shaped and 
pushed me to be where I am today.” 

After graduating from ECU with a degree in theatre, 
Bartels moved to New York, where she sold cellphones 
by day and took improv classes by night. She landed a 
gig with the famous comedy troupe Upright Citizens 
Brigade and started pursuing more comedy and 
commercials. In 2012, she moved to Los Angeles, 
then appeared in “Men in Black 3” and was a member 
of truTV’s first scripted sketch show, “Friends of the 
People,” where she served as writer, performer and 
executive producer for two seasons. 

In 2016, she auditioned for “American Woman.” 
The combination of drama and comedy was a good fit 
for Bartels. 

“As the episodes progressed, they allowed me to go 
farther with Diana, to run with a lot of things and 
improvise,” she says. 

The reaction to the show from friends and family has 
been “amazing,” she adds. 

“Everyone is so proud. I’ve been getting so much 
support. I worked really hard and wanted this, and 
wonderful things have happened.” 

– Erin Shaw 

Marshall Moore ’92 writes 
about Chinese ghosts in his 
latest novel. 
INHOSPITABLE SPIRITS FILL NOVEL 
ABOUT AN AMERICAN IN ASIA 
Marshall Moore ’92 writes 
about Chinese ghosts in his 
latest novel. 
INHOSPITABLE SPIRITS FILL NOVEL 
ABOUT AN AMERICAN IN ASIA 
Inhospitable 
Camphor Press, May 2018 
302 pages 
camphorpress.com 


From Havelock to Hong Kong, Marshall Moore ’92 has a lot to write about. 

The Hong-Kong based author and college professor has published his fourth novel, 
Inhospitable, about an American couple who inherit some prime real estate in Hong Kong. 
But the windfall comes with a catch: They cannot sell the building. Thus begins Lena Haze’s 
work to refurbish it amid culture shock, business obstacles and malignant ghosts. Her 
previous experiences with the spirit world don’t help; she’s dealing with Chinese ghosts this 
time. Different rules, rituals and customs apply, and she has no idea what is coming. 

“A lot of work and a lot of research went into it, and I’m quite proud of how it turned 
out,” Moore said by email about the book. “Even though it’s mostly set in Hong Kong, I think 
that people in N.C. will connect with it. I hope so, anyway.” 

On bookish.asia, John Grant Ross said Moore’s writing “is difficult to categorize, but is 
perhaps best described as literary fiction with a touch of weirdness.” 

Moore was born at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and grew up in Greenville. He 
didn’t finish high school, but completed his GED. His parents – who worked at ECU at the 
time – helped him get enrolled in college. 

The late English professor David Sanders stands out from Moore’s days at ECU. 

“His first-year honors English class (or whatever it was called then) was genuinely 
intellectually stimulating. He chose books that pushed us to use our heads, and he wasn’t 
shy about challenging us for sloppy thinking. Sanders also mattered on a personal level 
because he was gay and fairly out about it, considering the time and the place. He was sort 
of dashing and had a great car. I think I’m about the same age now that he was then, and I 
suppose I’m carrying on a tradition of sorts with my own students.” 

In a way, Moore is also carrying on the tradition of Southern literature. He writes about 
not just Westerners in a foreign land, but Southerners. 

“Southern is or was a regional identity with many of the characteristics of an ethnicity,” 
he said. “When you’re Southern, you’re very much aware that you’re an American but also 
kind of not. There’s also the sense and the importance of place … the sense of being a 
distinct part of the country that isn’t like everywhere else.” 

– Doug Boyd 

PIRATE SPIRIT 


Grabbingopportunity 

STANDOUT RECEIVER 
LOOKS TO LEAVE HIS MARK 
Trevon Brown could have folded. 

He could have become a statistic, another kid 
from a tough neighborhood who never found a 
way out. Instead he spent his time at the Boys & 
Girls Club, playing drums and sports. 

He could have given up on his dreams when 
he had a son as a senior in high school. Instead he 
dedicated his life to something bigger than himself. 

“I just have to do everything in my power 
to make his life better,” says Brown, a senior 
wide receiver and kick returner for the Pirates 
football team. 

He could have crumpled when, faced with the 
challenge of maintaining his grades in a college 
setting, he found himself short of the credits he 
needed to play in the 2016 season. Instead he 
sought academic help and shored up his grades. 

“Coming from high school to college, not really 
knowing how to take stuff out of a book and turn 
it into your own words, I needed help,” he says. 
“All I had to do was use it, and when I used that 
help, I made the dean’s list.” 

Brown returned to the field and turned in a 
breakout performance in 2017. He led the Pirates 
in nine statistical categories, including receptions 
(60), receiving yards (1,069), touchdowns (seven) 
and kick-return yards (452). 

After being named second-team All-AAC 
following last season, Brown is a First-Team 
Preseason All-AAC selection this year by Athlon 
Sports and Phil Steele’s College Football Preview 
magazine. He’s also on Athlon’s list of the Top 50 
Underrated Players for 2018. 

Head coach Scottie Montgomery described 
Brown as a team player who works hard. 

“It’s easy to see that Trevon Brown has great 
chemistry with anybody that he goes into the game 
with. He’s hard to stop,” Montgomery said. 

Following in the footsteps of star Pirate receivers 
who have made it to the NFL, Brown has set out to 
be a vocal leader for his teammates. 

“I want to make sure I finish my 
routes and play every play,” he says. 
“I want to show everybody that 
I’m still positive and … I’m leading 
from the front and not behind.”

 Off the field, he wants to make 
an impact through his study 
of child development and an 
internship with the Boys & Girls 
Clubs of the Coastal Plain in 
Greenville, where he wants to pay 
forward the care and guidance he 
received as a youth. 

 Brown says he can’t wait to take 
the field with his team this fall.

 “You really don’t understand until 
you put (that uniform) on,” he says. 
“It’s just a feeling you can’t even 
explain – to walk out of the tunnel 
for warmups and not see too many 
people, but when you come out for 
the game and you see 50,000, it’s 
mind-blowing. I never thought I’d 
be here playing in front of 50,000 
great fans, so it’s unbelievable.” 

– Jules Norwood 
Trevon Brown 

Year: Senior 
Major: University studies 
Hometown: Wilmington 
Position: Wide receiver 


I WANT TO SHOW 
EVERYBODY THAT I’M … 
LEADING FROM THE FRONT 
AND NOT BEHIND 

5 MINUTES WITH 
KEITH PARNELL ’88 

Position: Senior aerospace science instructor, 
Jones Senior High School, Trenton 

Degree: Bachelor’s degree in biology 

Hometown: New Bern 

“It is easy to say that my days at ECU helped shape 
and mold me into the person I am today. Why? 
For many reasons but I think ECU has always had 
an underlying ‘chip-on-the-shoulder, never give up’ 
mantra that says, ‘Oh yeah, well we can do it just as 
good as you and probably better!’ 

“So, after four years of Air Force ROTC, I 
was commissioned as a second lieutenant 
and went to pilot training. It was unbelievably 
tough, exceedingly intimidating and extremely 
competitive. I can vividly remember getting to 
know the other folks in my flight class. They 
were incredibly sharp and attended top-notch 
universities/military academies throughout the 
country: U.S. Air Force Academy, Texas A&M, 
Washington, Kansas, Colorado, VMI, Norwich. But 
I used the mindset I learned at ECU and steadily 
progressed through the ranks during my 23 years 
as a pilot/officer in the Air Force. I’m proud to 
say that only two officers in my flight class were 
promoted to the rank of full colonel, and I was 
one of them. 

“After retirement, I moved back home and 
became an AFJROTC instructor at a local high 
school. Now, I try to share some of the lessons 
learned throughout my career and teach them the 
importance of taking responsibility for their own 
actions. On a daily basis, I ‘preach’ the importance 
of character and integrity so these young folks can 
build positive habit patterns … now. And, of course, 
I’m hoping a little of that ECU ‘never give up attitude’ 
will rub off on them as they transition to compete in 
today’s globally competitive environment.” 

We want to hear stories from alumni about how 
their experiences at ECU shaped them today and 
how they pass those lessons to others. Send us an 
email at easteditor@ecu.edu. 


Calendar 

ON CAMPUS 
She burst on the national scene in 1991 when she 
made sexual harassment claims against Supreme 
Court nominee Clarence Thomas in testimony 
before Congress. Today, Anita Hill is a women’s 
and civil rights advocate and law professor at 
Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. She’s 
collaborating with artist Mark Branford to create a 

Tickets are available at ecu.edu/voyages. 
400-foot painting in Washington, D.C., 
that revisits the lost texts of civil rights 
activist Myrtle Evers-Williams. And she’s 
speaking at East Carolina University on 
Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. in Wright Auditorium 
as part of the Voyages of Discovery 
lecture series. The title of her talk is 
“Social Movement to Social Impact: 
Putting an End to Sexual Harassment in 
the Workplace.” 

In the second Voyages event of 
the fall, Angus Konstam, author, 
historian and world-renowned expert 
on pirates, will present “Blackbeard 
at 300: New Findings on North 
Carolina’s Most (In)famous Pirate” at 


7 p.m. Oct. 25 in Wright Auditorium. 
A former naval officer, underwater archaeologist and museum curator, Konstam 
specializes in maritime and military history. He’s best known for his work on 
piracy and is the author of more than 100 books, including “History of Pirates” 
and “Blackbeard: America’s Most Notorious Pirate.” His visit to ECU coincides 
with the 300th anniversary of Blackbeard’s death. 

ON ST A GE 
S. RUDOLPH ALEXANDER PERFORMING ARTS SERIES 
The Tony Awards meets “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” 
in “Broadway’s Next H!T Musical.” Every song is 
fresh, every scene is new and every night is different. 
It’s all improvised, and it’s all funny. Master improvisers 
gather made-up hit song suggestions from the 
audience and create a spontaneous evening of music, 
humor and laughter. The audience votes for their 
favorite made-up song and then watches as the cast 
turns it into a full-blown improvised musical, complete 
with memorable characters, witty dialogue and plot 
twists galore. Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. in Wright Auditorium. 

“The Sons of Serendip” are four 
friends who through a series of 
serendipitous events got together in 
graduate school and auditioned for 
“America’s Got Talent.” They quickly 
became an audience favorite and won 
fourth place in the 2014 competition. 
Fast forward, and the friends have five 
albums to their credit. They’ll perform 
selections from their album “Christmas 
Beyond the Lights” at ECU on Nov. 29 at 
8 p.m. in Wright Auditorium. 


Tickets for both events are $45, $35, $25 and $15 and are available at ecuarts.com. 

FAMILY FARE 


When Pete the Cat gets caught rocking out 
after bedtime, the cat-catcher sends him 
to live with the Biddle family to learn his 
manners – and boy are they square! But for 
the groovy blue cat, life is an adventure no 
matter where you wind up, so the minute 
Pete walks in the door, he gets the whole 
family rocking. The whole family, that is, 
except for young Jimmy Biddle, the most 

organized second-grader on planet Earth. Enjoy “Pete the Cat” on Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. 
in Wright Auditorium. 

In an Appalachian retelling of the classic tale, “Jack 
and the Wonder Beans” reinforces a truth: A life 
simply lived is simply worth living. Mayhem ensues 
when Jack trades his cow for “seeds.” His adventures 
with the High Tall Giant Woman and her husband 
go awry until the audience restores order for Jack 
and his Mam. One performance Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. in 
Wright Auditorium. 

Ticket information is at 
artscomm.ecu.edu/performing-arts/family-fare. 
MUSIC 
FESTIVALS 

ECU’s Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival 
presents two concert residencies at A.J. Fletcher 
Recital Hall in Greenville this fall, with the Season 
Opening Extravaganza on Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. and 
Sept. 28 at 8 p.m.; and Chamber Music Monuments 
on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. 

The Season Opening Extravaganza is reprised Sept. 
30 at 3 p.m., and Chamber Music Monuments is 
reprised Nov. 11 at 3 p.m., both at Hayes Barton United 
Methodist Church in Raleigh. 

Tickets and more information are available at ecu.edu/ 
fourseasons or by calling 252-328-6019. 

Four Seasons Next Generation concerts are 
presented this fall in Greenville at A.J. Fletcher Recital 
Hall on Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m.; in Durham at the Nelson 
Music Room at Duke University on Oct. 21 at 5 p.m.; 
at First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro on Oct. 
26 at 7:30 p.m.; and at Myers Park Baptist Church 
in Charlotte on Oct. 28 at 5 p.m. Next Generation 
ECU faculty artists, ECU Next Gen alumni artists and 
selected ECU students perform and interact with 
selected participants in each concert city. Free and 
open to the public. 

Three Four Seasons Winter Workshop concerts of 
different programs are presented Jan. 4 at 7 p.m., Jan. 
5 at 7 p.m. and Jan. 6 at 3 p.m. at A.J. Fletcher Recital 
Hall in Greenville. Workshop faculty guest performing 
artists Ani Kavafian, violin; Ida Kavafian, violin/viola; 
Steven Tenenbom, viola; Michael Kannen, cello; Colin 
Carr, cello; and others will join ECU faculty and rising 
stars from throughout the world in the concerts. Free 
and open to the public. 

North Carolina NewMusic Initiative director Ed Jacobs welcomes 
ModernMedieval to ECU’s A.J. Fletcher Recital Hall on Sept. 13. ModernMedieval 
Trio of Voices is a new, all-female ensemble created by Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek, 
former member of the renowned vocal quartet Anonymous 4. Martha Cluver and 
Eliza Bagg join her from the celebrated ensemble Roomful of Teeth to present 
programs that combine medieval chant and polyphony with new commissions and 
music from later eras. 


Hornist Adam Unsworth and Ukrainian-born, Australian-based composer/ 
pianist Catherine Likhuta will perform contemporary works for horn and piano 
in A.J. Fletcher Recital Hall on Oct. 25. Formerly a member of the Philadelphia 
Orchestra, Unsworth has recorded five critically acclaimed albums as a leader, 
including “Balance,” a jazz recording for horn, jazz sextet and chamber orchestra, 
and “Snapshots,” a recording of contemporary works with Likhuta. 

Premiere Performances, a concert dedicated to the newest ideas of ECU’s 
developing young composers, will be presented at the School of Music’s A.J. Fletcher 
Recital Hall on Nov. 19. 

All North Carolina NewMusic Initiative concerts are at 7:30 p.m., 
and admission is free. More information is at ecu.edu/newmusic. 

OPERA 

ECU Opera Theater and directors John Kramar and Daniel Shirley present A Little 
Night Music by Stephen Sondheim at the historic Turnage Theatre in Washington, with 
performances Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. 

Suggested by the film Smiles of a Summer Night by Ingmar Bergman, A Little Night 
Music is a romantic comedy with a tangled web of involvements that continues to 
surprise with twists and turns. Featuring the classic song “Send in the Clowns” and a 
beautiful, lush score, A Little Night Music is a story of love, nostalgia, regret and the 
magic of music on a summer’s night. 

For ticket information call 252-946-2504. 
ORCHESTRA 

The ECU Symphony Orchestra, Jorge Richter, conductor, is in concert three 
times in fall semester. Concerts are Sept. 15, featuring Rota’s Concerto for trombone 
and orchestra, Stephen Ivany, guest soloist, and Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique, 
Op. 14; Oct. 6, featuring Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15, 
Kwan Yi, guest soloist, and Dvořák’s No. 8 in G major, Op. 88; and Nov. 10, featuring 
Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, Mignone’s Concertino for 
Clarinet and Orchestra, Douglas Moore-Monroe, guest soloist, and Ginastera’s 
Dances from Estancia, dance suite from the ballet. 

All ECU Symphony Orchestra performances are at 

7:30 p.m. in ECU’s Wright Auditorium and are free and 
open to the public. For information, call 252-328-6851. 
BANDS AND ENSEMBLES 

The Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the Concert 
Band and the Symphonic Band take the stage for 
Bandoramas on Sept. 25 and Nov. 8. Both concerts are 
in Wright Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. 

Oct. 18 is all about the mallets and sticks, timpani and 
tom toms, and cymbals and gongs at Fletcher Music 
Center when the Percussion Ensemble performs in 
Room B110 at 7:30 p.m. 

Classical guitarists perform together when the ECU 
Guitar Ensemble concertizes Nov. 27 at 7:30 p.m. in 

A.J. Fletcher Recital Hall. 
Cool cats rule at Wright Auditorium on Dec. 1 with the 
ECU Combined Jazz Ensembles in a jazzy concert 
at 8 p.m. 

The annual Holiday Band Concert featuring songs 
of the season and a visit from Santa is Dec. 2 in Wright 
Auditorium at 2 p.m. 

B 
Band and ensemble concerts are 
free and open to the public. 
For information, call 252-328-6851. 
CHOIRS 

The ECU Chamber Singers are in concert at 
Peace Presbyterian Church in Winterville on Oct. 12 
at 7:30 pm. The ECU University Chorale and Concert 
Choir performs Oct. 22, and the ECU Collegiate 
Choir takes the stage Nov. 26, both in A.J. Fletcher 
Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m. 

All concerts are free and open to the public. 
FACULTY RECITALS 

Fall ECU School of Music faculty recitals include Nicole 
Franklin, soprano, Sept. 17; Faculty Brass Concert, Oct. 
1; Jarrod Williams, tuba, Oct. 26; Faculty Chamber 
Recital, Oct. 29; and Christine Gustafson, flute, Nov. 12. 

All faculty recitals are in A.J. Fletcher 
Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m., are free and 
open to the public and include a 
post-recital reception. For information, 
call 252-328-6851. 


GUEST ARTISTS 

Two tuba guest artists perform at the School of Music 
in fall 2018 — Tom Holtz on Sept. 16 and Seth 
Horner on Nov. 6. 

Recently retired from his position as a tubist with 
the United States Marine Band, Holtz is a freelance 
performer in classical and jazz venues across the 
mid-Atlantic region. He will be joined by ECU faculty 
members for a concert of traditional jazz. 

Horner joined the North Carolina Symphony in 2017 
as principal tuba. Previously, Horner was acting principal 
tuba of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for three 
seasons and held faculty appointments teaching tuba 
and euphonium at Towson University and the Peabody 
Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. 

The School of Music celebrates National Hispanic 
Heritage Month this fall with three guest artist 
recitals: guitarist Adam Kossler on Sept. 18; the 
North Carolina Guitar Quartet on Sept. 26; 


and Duo Guitiano, featuring guitarist Carlos Castilla 
and pianist Amanda Virelles, on Oct. 2. The concert 
series features composed and arranged guitar music of 
vibrancy and intensity by Spanish and Latin American 
composers. The works draw on the diverse cultural 
influences of Spanish and Latin styles. 

All guest artist recitals are in A.J. Fletcher Recital Hall 
at 7:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public. 
For information, call 252-328-6851. 

EXHIBITS 
The Wellington B. Gray Gallery in the Jenkins 
Fine Arts Center presents the Keaton and Umberger 
Gala Art Auction and Sale of fine art, crafts and 
decorative pieces Sept. 22 from 6 to 9 p.m. The 
evening features the auction and sale and hors 
d’oeuvres and beverages from local establishments. 
Tickets are $25 and may be purchased by calling 252328-
1268 by Sept. 14. Proceeds from the event will 
support scholarships and programs at the School of Art 
and Design. 

The Beyond Ornament and ECU Metals exhibition 
will be presented Jan. 7-Feb. 15, with a First Friday 
reception Feb. 1 from 5-8 p.m. Beyond Ornament is 
a major survey exhibition highlighting North Carolina 
makers of studio jewelry. The artists selected for the 
exhibition produce objects that enhance and embellish 
the human body and also question what jewelry and 
ornament can be. 

Two associated exhibitions will take place during 
Beyond Ornament — Cadavre Exquis will explore 
the role of collaboration in jewelry design, and 
ECU Metals will showcase teachers and students 

from the university’s master of fine arts in art with a 
concentration in metal design in the School of Art and 
Design graduate metals program. 

Other Gray Gallery exhibitions include the 
Undergraduate Exhibition Oct. 5-20, reception Oct. 5; 
the MFA Exhibition Nov. 2-26, reception Nov. 2; and 
the BFA Group Exhibition Dec. 5-14, reception Dec. 7. 
Details are at ecu.edu/graygallery. 

Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday 
10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays 
noon-4 p.m. Admission is free. The gallery is 
closed for all university holidays. For more 
information, call 252-328-1312. 


CHANGING LIVES, 
CHANGING COMMUNITIES 
Horizons 
CHANGING LIVES, 
CHANGING COMMUNITIES 
Horizons 
Jennifer McMains 

Research 

I’ve been working in Dr. Johanna Hannan’s urology lab for the past two years. 
One of our research areas focuses on the adverse effects of prostate cancer 
treatments, specifically on the nerves. Damage to nerves during treatments 
can lead to bladder and sexual dysfunction. These issues can severely impact 
the quality of life for men once the cancer is gone. 

I was very excited to become involved in research, although I was nervous 
about getting into it as a younger student. I’ve learned so much, from lab 
skills to how to write scientifically. The work is very satisfying because we’re 
moving this research forward. I believe medical research is the future of 
medicine. It truly helps others on a broader scale. 

Philanthropy and service 

I’m passionate about service. It kind of becomes an addiction; once you do 
it once, you want to do it more and more. And without others’ philanthropy, 
we wouldn’t be able to fund our research and improve the quality of life for 
cancer survivors. 

Hometown: Raleigh 

Year: Junior, public health studies major in 
the Honors College 
Career goals: Attend Brody School of 

Medicine and become a doctor 

Support the Honors College 

As the student population of the Honors College 
grows, there is a strong need for additional funds to 
support the living-learning experiences, academic 
priorities and study abroad. For more information 
about how to support the college, contact Nate 
Evans, Honors College senior advancement officer, at 
252-737-5232 or evansna@ecu.edu. 

ecu.edu/give 


Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist 
Colson Whitehead, underwater 
explorer Jean-Michael Cousteau, 
primatologist Jane Goodall and 
astrophysicist Neil deGrasse 
Tyson have come to East Carolina 
University to share their unique 
perspectives, and such luminaries 
will continue to be a staple thanks 
to an endowment for the Voyages of 
Discovery Series. 

The Ms. Harvey S. Wooten Voyages 
of Discovery Endowment is the first 
endowment for the series. Wooten is 

LECTURE SERIES 
RECEIVES 
ENDOWMENT 
From left, Harvey 
Wooten, oceanographer 
Robert Ballard and Vik 
Sexton are shown during 
Ballard’s visit to ECU last 
fall as part of the Voyages 
of Discovery Series. 

one of the founding members of the 
Harriot College Dean’s Advancement 
Council and has been involved in the 
series since its beginning. 

“I just feel so strongly about this 
lecture series,” she said. “It’s a way 
to bring intellectual stimulus to the 
university and the community with big 
names that might not ever come here 
otherwise.” 

Humanitarians, authors, activists and 
astronauts have been featured since 
the Harriot College established the 
series in 2007. 

Wooten, a Kinston native, has lived 
in Greenville for nearly 40 years. She 
served as the co-chair of the THCAS 
Advancement Council for 10 years. 
She has provided generous funding 
for the college and established the 
Harvey Sharp Wooten Study Abroad 
Scholarship and the Harvey Wooten 
Social Sciences Scholarship. 

“Harvey Wooten is, without match, 
our most loyal and generous supporter 
of the Voyages of Discovery Series,” 
said Harriot College Dean William 

M. Downs. “For years, she has 
contributed funds that have enabled 
Harriot College to bring some of the 
world’s foremost scientists, authors, 
policymakers and world-changers to 
Greenville. By creating the Wooten 
Endowment, she has laid a solid 
foundation for the series’ future.” 
Wooten said she never misses a 
lecture. Her favorites over the years 
include paleoanthropologist Richard 
Leakey, writer and journalist Walter 
Isaacson and Tyson. Above all, Wooten 
said, she hopes the endowment will 
bring more attention to the series and 
encourage more people to give to it. 

– Erin Shaw 
GIFT FUNDS FACULTY POSITIONS 
IN HEMATOLOGY/ONCOLOGY 
East Carolina University and Vidant 
Health have partnered to create 
two senior faculty positions in 
the Division of Hematology and 
Oncology at the Brody School of 
Medicine. The positions are being 
funded by a gift to the Vidant Cancer 
Care campaign by Mr. and Mrs. 
Robert Barnhill Jr. of Tarboro. 

The professorships will be named 
the Barnhill Family Distinguished 
Professorship and the Robert 
and Penny Barnhill Distinguished 
Professorship. Vidant and ECU will 
determine the timing of the creation of 
the positions as well as tenure status, 
compensation, responsibilities and 
candidate selection. 

“We’ve all been touched by cancer 
in one way or another,” said Dr. Mark 
Stacy, dean of the medical school. 
“We’re grateful to the Barnhills for 
their generous contribution to battling 

this disease that creates an especially 
heavy burden on our part of the state. 
This gift creates new opportunities to 
explore and advance the way we deliver 
oncology care here.” 

Barnhill, a native of Edgecombe 
County, graduated from ECU in 1970 
with a degree in business administration. 
His family’s company, Barnhill 
Contracting, was founded in 1949 and is 
headquartered in Rocky Mount. 

“We are passionate about giving back 
to the community within which we work 
and live,” he said. “It is our hope that 
we can continue to support medical 
research and health care initiatives in 
eastern North Carolina with this gift.” 

“The Brody School of Medicine and 
Vidant are leaders in providing skilled 
doctors and essential care to eastern 
North Carolinians,” said ECU Chancellor 
Cecil Staton.” That commitment to 
health and service continues with these 

Penny and 
Robert Barnhill 
professorships made possible by the 
generosity of the Barnhills. It is a gift that 
will inspire faculty to push the frontiers 
of their scholarship and research as well 
as prepare students to follow their path 
as successful physicians.” 

– ECU News Services 

HOME C OMING 
Oct. 20, 
2018 
HOME C OMING 
Oct. 20, 
2018 
Pirate Doughnut Party and 
homecoming parade 

Oct. 20, 8 a.m. 

Join us at the Taylor-Slaughter Alumni 
Center to watch the parade. See 
PeeDee, the Marching Pirates and 
other bands, ECU cheerleaders, student 
organization floats, the homecoming 
court and Alumni Award recipients. Also 
enjoy various Pirate-themed doughnuts 
provided by sponsor Krispy Kreme. The 
Pirate Doughnut Party starts at 8 a.m. 
followed by the parade at 9 a.m. 

Pirate game-day tailgate 

Oct. 20, three hours before kick-off 

Join fellow alumni and fans at ECU’s 
Johnson Stadium for tailgating fun 
before the homecoming football 
game against UCF. Enjoy a variety of 
food, beverages, music, door prizes 
and more. More information is at 
PirateAlumni.com/tailgate. 

The Black Alumni Chapter of the 
ECU Alumni Association presents 
the 2018 Black Alumni Reunion. 
More information is at 
PirateAlumni.com/2018BAR. 

Marching Pirates Alumni Reunion 

Join fellow former band members for 
a weekend of fun, music and football. 
More information is at 
PirateAlumni.com/MPReunion. 

Golden Graduates Reunion for 
1967 and 1968 alumni and friends as 
well as all Pirates who have achieved 
their Golden Graduate status. More 
information is at PirateAlumni.com/GGR. 

Dowdy Student Stores 
homecoming celebration and sale 

Oct. 18-20 

Dowdy Student Store, Wright Building. 
Sale prices throughout the store. Alumni, 

show us your class ring and we’ll give 
you 1 percent off your regurlarly priced 
purchase for each year since graduation, 
up to 30 percent off regular prices. Enter 
our drawing for a tailgate tent, and show 
your Pirate Pride in our selfie–station 
photo booth Saturday. More information 
is at studentstores.ecu.edu and on 
Instagram and Twitter. 

Homecoming canned food drive 

Oct. 19, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 

Food Bank of Central and Eastern 
North Carolina 
Contact homecoming@ecu.edu or 
252-737-1808. 

Homecoming Pep Rally at 
Freeboot Friday 

Oct. 19, 5-8 p.m., Uptown Greenville. 
Free, contact homecoming@ecu.edu 
or 252-737-1808. 

COLLEGE, SCHOOL AND 
DEPARTMENT EVENTS 

College of Allied Health Sciences 

Homecoming tailgate 

Oct. 20, three hours before kickoff 

Free, location TBD 
RSVP by Oct. 1 
Alyssa De Santis Figiel, 
desantisa14@ecu.edu 

College of Fine Arts and 
Communication 

Four Seasons Next Generation Concert 

Oct. 19, 7 p.m. 

A.J. Fletcher Music Center 
Free, contact John Holloway, 
252-328-6019 or hollowayjo14@ecu.edu 
College of Education 

Breakfast on the porch 

Oct. 20, 8:30–10 a.m. 

Speight Building Porch 
Free, no RSVP 
Lisa Marie Hagen, hagenl@ecu.edu 


College of Health and 
Human Performance 

Homecoming breakfast 

Oct. 20, 8 a.m., Tent in front of Rivers 
Building (Fifth Street side) 
Free, RSVP by Oct. 8 
Kathy Muse, musek@ecu.edu 

College of Nursing 

Homecoming festivities 

(Refreshments and hors d’oeuvres served) 

Oct. 19, 5–7 p.m. 

College of Nursing front lobby 
Free, RSVP by Oct. 1 
Jane Boardman, boardmanj@ecu.edu or 
252-744-6504 

Thomas Harriot College of 
Arts and Sciences 

Homecoming breakfast 

Oct. 20, 8 a.m. 

Lawn beside Whichard Building facing 
Fifth Street 
Free, RSVP by Oct. 12. 
Jessica Nottingham, thcas@ecu.edu or 
252-737-1753 

Honors College 

College Fall Festival 

Oct. 19, 4–8 p.m., Brock’s Farm, 862 
Laurie Ellis Road, Winterville 
Free, RSVP by Oct. 5 
honorscollege@ecu.edu or 252-328-6373 

Biology 

Homecoming Biology Nerd Nite 

Oct. 19, 7 p.m. 

Tapped, 650 E. Fire Tower Road, Winterville 
Free, contact Chris Balakrishnan, 
balakrishnanc@ecu.edu 

Department of Chemistry 

Homecoming celebration 

Oct. 19, 5 p.m. 

Science and Technology Building third 
floor atrium area 
Cost TBD, RSVP by Oct. 1 

Department of Criminal Justice 

Alumni reception & tailgate 

Oct. 20; time/location TBD 

Free, contact Bradley Fornes, 
fornesb17@ecu.edu or 252-328-4192 

GREEK EVENTS 

NPHC Step Show 

Oct. 19, 7 p.m., cost TBD 

Wright Auditorium 
Dorothea Mack, mackd@ecu.edu or 
252-328-4235 

OTHER 

Volleyball alumni reunion 

Oct. 20 alumni game at 10 a.m. and 
tailgating afterward 

RSVP by Oct. 1 
Mo Simmons, simmonsm18@ecu.edu 
or 252-737-1589 

Career Services homecoming 
parade watch 

Oct. 20, 9-11 a.m. 

Career Services house on Fifth Street 
Karen Franklin, 252-328-6050 

Blackbeard 300 exhibit viewing 
and family open house 

Oct. 20, 10 a.m., Joyner Library 
Enjoy refreshments and free kids 
activities including story time and face 
painting. 

ECU volleyball 

Football isn’t the only game in town 
homecoming weekend. ECU volleyball 
is also in action in Williams Arena at 
Minges Coliseum. 

ECU vs. UCF 

Oct. 19, 7 p.m. 

ECU vs. USF 

Oct. 21, noon 

Adults $6, age 12 and under $3 
800-DIAL-ECU or ECUPirates.com 

2018 Alumni 
Award Recipients 

The following Pirates will be recognized 
Oct 19 at the Alumni Awards Ceremony and 
Dinner and during halftime of the Oct 20 
homecoming football game 

Danny Scott ’84 of of Swansea, Illinois, spent a 
30-year career in corporate business at Anheuser-
Busch, Monsanto and Nabisco before co-
founding the specialty food company All-N-Food 
LLC in 2011. He also served on the ECU board of 
trustees for eight years. 

Austin Bunch (posthumous) served as assistant 
to three chancellors, an adjunct assistant professor 
in the College of Education, and associate provost 
and senior associate provost. 

Dr. Kodi Azari ’97 of Pacific Palisades, 
California, is professor of orthopedic surgery and 
plastic surgery and surgical director of the hand-
transplant program at UCLA Health. 

Lt. Commander Kathleen Ferguson ’07 

of Atlanta is a quality-assurance specialist for the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Charles Jenkins ’66 ’67 of Laurinburg is a 
clinical professor/professor emeritus of educational 
leadership at UNC-Pembroke, where he has 
worked in numerous roles for more than 47 years. 

Tywana Lawson ’07 ’13 of La Grange 
is director of nursing programs at Nash 
Community College. 

More information about the award recipients and 
their photos are at bit.ly/2NJDgSZ. 

The alumni awards ceremony and dinner 
begin at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 19 at the Greenville 
Convention Center. Alumni, friends and guests 
are welcome; advance registration is required. 
To be a sponsor or for general information, 
contact Shawn Moore ’91 ’98 at 252-328-5775 
or mooresh@ecu.edu. More information is at 
www.PirateAlumni.com/APurpleGoldEvening. 

The alumni association is accepting nominations 
for the 2019 Alumni Awards Nov. 1-Jan. 31. More 
information is at PirateAlumni.com/AwardsProcess. 


In Memoriam 


ALUMNI 

1930s 

Ruth P Linville ’39 ’52 of Kernersville, N C , on June 12, 2018 

1940s 

Rebecca Caison ’47 of Clinton, N C , on April 9, 2018 
Willie M Currin ’45 of Graham, N C , on March 22, 2018 
Lallah B Heath ’42 of Stone Mountain, Ga , on Feb 14, 2018 
Elizabeth Hight ’46 of Cary, N C , on April 11, 2018 
Camille J Hite ’45 of Greenville, N C , on June 22, 2018 
Ruffin Manning ’49 ’59 of Fredericksburg, Va , on 

March 23, 2018 
Dorothy Mae Whitley Oldenburg ’44 of Bonita Springs, Fla , 
on April 19, 2018 

1950s 

Daphne Jilcott Askew ’50 of Ahoskie, N C , on Feb 12, 2018 
Cleo Simons Beaman ’51 of Snow Hill, N C , on June 17, 2018 
Nell Grantham Bray ’53 of Lumberton, N C , on April 29, 2018 
Hattie Dietzel ’56 of Issaquah, Wash , on March 27, 2018 
Frances Douglas ’52 ’65 of North Myrtle Beach, S C , on 

May 9, 2018 
Thomas Edwards ’59 of Raleigh, N C , on June 24, 2018 
Joel Farrar ’56 of Rock Hill, S C , on April 23, 2018 
Elizabeth Carroll “Betsy” Gray ’52 of Garner, N C , on 

May 3, 2018 
William J Hair ’50 of Elizabethtown, N C , on March 21, 2018 
Gene Marshall Hart ’51 ’58 of Garland, N C , on April 22, 2018 
Howard “Buddy” Holcomb ’56 of Marietta, Ga , on May 21, 2018 
Margaret McArthur Holcomb ’53 of Marietta, Ga , on 

March 28, 2018 
William N Howard Jr ’56 of Raleigh, N C , on June 19, 2018 
Benjamin Thomas “Tom” James ’59 of Rocky Mount, N C , 

on May 23, 2018 
Norma Jean Jenkins ’54 of Ashburn, Va , on Feb 8, 2018 
Thomas R Lupton ’54 of Wilmington, N C , on Feb 22, 2018 
Bettie Carroll Massey ’53 of High Point, N C , on May 15, 2018 
Alvin D McArthur ’50 of Farmville, N C , on March 22, 2018 
James Piner ’57 of Atlantic Beach, N C , on March 27, 2018 
Robert Gilbert Stanley ’53 of Whiteville, N C , on May 20, 2018 
Lillian Hofler Swain ’50 of Wilson, N C , on May 2, 2018 
Ellis H Townsend ’51 of Wallace, N C , on June 4, 2018 
William H Weir ’58 of Wilson, N C , on May 16, 2018 

1960s 

William Lloyd Barber ’65 of Chicago, Ill , on April 20, 2018 
Jerry Barnette ’68 of Estero, Fla , on Wednesday, April 25, 2018 
Marybeth Nichols Barris ’63 of Venice, Fla , on Nov, 11, 2017 
Theodore W “Ted” Beach ’60 ’63 of Savannah, Ga , on 

Feb 21, 2018 
Laura Knight Cagle ’62 of Carthage, N C , on April 19, 2018 
Larry G Carter ’69 ’81 of Madison, Va , on May 28, 2018 
Hubert A Creech ’65 of Goldsboro, N C , on June 11, 2018 
Theodore Charles Entzminger ’66 of Greenville, N C , on 

April 25, 2018 
Dalton Finch Jr ’63 of Plymouth, N C , on May 12, 2018 
Susan C France ’68 of Creedmoor, N C , on Feb 25, 2018 
Jerry P Fulford ’64 of Raleigh, N C , on June 18, 2018 
Flora MacDonald Gammon ’69 of Waynesville, N C , on 

March 22, 2018 
James Ralph Ihrie ’72 of Statesville, N C , on May 10, 2018 
Emily C Jones ’65 of Snow Hill, N C , on March 25, 2018 
Barbara Keller ’65 of Manteo, N C , on April 18, 2018 
James R Knight Jr ’60 of Raleigh, N C , on Feb 17, 2018 
Phillip Ellis Langford ’66 of Clayton, N C , on April 29, 2018 
Paul K Lanning ’66 of Supply, N C , on June 1, 2018 
Eleanor Rodman May ’66 of Washington, N C , on 

March 29, 2018 
Lucile M McIntyre ’65 of Wilmington, N C , on June 11, 2018 
Barbara J Mobley ’67 ’75 of Robersonville, N C , on 

March 2, 2018 
Elizabeth E Morgan ’66 of Sunbury, N C , on March 31, 2018 
Peggy C Pearce ’64 of Franklin, Va , on May 27, 2018 
Herman L Pusser ’65 of West End, N C , on June 16, 2018 
Lynda R Robbins ’67 of Alexandria, Va , on May 26, 2018 

James B Smith Jr ’66 of Williamsburg, Va , on 

March 26, 2018 
Josephine B Thomas ’67 of Wilson, N C , on June 11, 2018 
Joseph J Thompson ’66 of Fayetteville, N C , on March 24, 2018 
Charles W Wilkinson Jr ’63 of Oxford, N C , on May 6, 2018 

1970s 

Dorothy Brock Aydlett ’73 of Elizabeth City, N C on 

June 7, 2018 
James R Barnes Jr ’79 of Raleigh, N C , on March 4, 2018 
Jack Donald Bateman ’71 of Chesapeake, Va , on March 13, 2018 
Karen V Bell ’78 of Fleetwood, N C , on May 11, 2018 
Harold “H B ” Bissett Jr ’70 of New Bern, N C , on Feb 19, 2018 
Carolyn Brown ’71 of Winston-Salem, N C , on May 22, 2018 
Katherine Knight Collins ’75 of Rocky Mount, on April 29, 2018 
Robert E Currin Jr ’74 of Newport News, Va , on 

Jan 24, 2018 
Sylvia Daniel ’76 of Huntersville, N C , on June 19, 2018 
Pantice P Fish ’76 of Venice, Fla , on Feb 13, 2018 
Claron G Gibbons ’71 of Logan, Utah, on Feb 26, 2018 
Shelia J Harrell ’78 of Oak City, N C , on June 18, 2018 
William H Harrell ’78 of Eure, N C , on April 15, 2018 
Edward Hawes Jr ’70 of Richlands, N C , on April 2, 2018 
Deborah E Henderson ’76 of Raleigh, N C , on Feb 18, 2018 
George Benjamin “Ben” James ’76 of Greenville, N C , on 

April 5, 2018 
William E Jones ’73 of Kitty Hawk, N C , on June 3, 2018 
Dorothy S Kinlaw ’78 of Raeford, N C , on June 18, 2018 
Joan M Kocen ’70 of Solomons, Md , on March 12, 2018 
Susan B Lawson ’70 of Lewisville, N C , on June 8, 2018 
Stewart Longacre Jr ’71 of Collegeville, Pa , on Feb 28, 2018 
Beverly K MacQueen ’79 of Goldsboro, N C , on Feb 7, 2018 
Gary Elwood Miller ’73 of Virginia Beach, Va , on May 13, 2018 
Wilson Ray Mozingo ’73 of Raleigh, N C , on May 12, 2018 
Allen H Perry ’72 of Morehead City, N C , on March 20, 2018 
Thomas E Price ’75 of Portsmouth, Va , on Feb 15, 2018 
Rhonda B Raper ’77 ’78 of Greenville, N C , on Feb 13, 2018 
Frances Lee Reesman ’72 of Trent Woods, N C , on 

April 22, 2018 
Davey D Sawyer ’79 of Graham, N C , on March 13, 2018 
Kathy Lane Williford ’73 of Garner, N C , on March 30, 2018 
Oliver H Yancey Jr ’75 of Raleigh, N C , on April 7, 2018 

1980s 

Debra West Bailey ’83 of Hickory, N C , on May 23, 2018 
Brenda Pearsall Cayton ’89 of Greenville, N C , on 

March 28, 2018 
Charles Eatmon ’82 of Ernul, N C , on June 14, 2018 
Bret D Lee ’83 of Elizabethtown, N C , on March 8, 2018 
Marcy M Moore ’86 of Cary, N C , on Feb 9, 2018 
Priscilla K Murphy ’81 of Beaufort, N C , on Feb 11, 2018 
Mabel James Perry ’81 ’88 of Bethel, N C , on May 22, 2018 
Paula Stokes Qualliotine ’85 of Winston-Salem, N C , on 

May 19, 2018 
Milbrey C Starnes ’80 of Hillsborough, N C , on May 15, 2018 
William Henry Taylor Jr ’81 of Greensboro, N C , on 

April 25, 2018 
Bruce Thompson ’82 of Conway, S C , on May 3, 2018 
Kay Fish Toombs ’89 of Disputanta, Va , on April 30, 2018 
Warren H Vestal ’82 of Walnut Cove, N C , on May 1, 2018 

1990s 

Eric Bailey ’91 ’00 of Southport, N C , on March 18, 2018 
Lawrence E Cherry Jr ’94 of Elizabeth City, N C , on 

June 7, 2018 
Fred Corbin ’92 of La Grange, N C , on May 11, 2018 
Eloise Kennedy Cullen ’91 of Morehead City, N C , on 

May 9, 2018 
Betty Clarke Harris ’94 of Bath, N C , on April 14, 2018 
William Carlton Harrison ’92 of Biloxi, Miss , on June 13, 2018 
Marjorie R Holmes ’90 ’95 of Greenville, N C , on March 17, 2018 
Christopher Raynard Johnson ’96 of High Point, N C , on 

Feb 20, 2018 
Kevin Wayne Lowery ’97 of Mount Pleasant, S C , on 

May 15, 2018 
Walter T Rampersaud ’91 of Alexandria, Va , on May 12, 2018 
Jeffrey Thomas Smith ’90 of Wilson, N C , on April 26, 2018 


Rochelle Jackson 
Pope ’25 of Dunn 
died April 14, 2018 
She was 110 and 
likely the oldest 
alumnus of East 
Carolina at the 
time of her death 
She taught and 
served as a principal 
in Harnett and 
Sampson counties 

2000s 

Brian N Babyak ’09 of Jamestown, N C , on June 9, 2018 
James A Bullard ’06 of Rocky Mount, N C , on Feb 26, 2018 
Kristin M Day ’06 of New Bern, N C , on Feb 7, 2018 
John W Harrawood ’08 of Greenville, N C , on Feb 17, 2018 
Mark Jeffrey Larson ’02 of Orlando, Fla , on April 16, 2018 
Sean M McLaughlin ’07 of Concord, N C , on June 23, 2018 
Bradford “Stephen” Quinn ’06 of Pacolet, S C , on May 9, 2018 
James Christopher Rogers ’06 of Jamesville, N C , on 

April 2, 2018 
Mark Steven Wheeler ’01 of Stoughton, Wis , on April 15, 2018 

2010s 

Nickolas S Nosbisch ’11 of Fuquay-Varina, N C , on 

June 8, 2018 
Adam Toohey ’12 of Norman, Okla , on April 15, 2008 
Ted Underwood ’14 of Fayetteville, N C , on May 20, 2018 

STUDENTS 

Jennifer Ervin of China Grove, N C , on Feb 24, 2018 
Amanda L Gibbons of Wake Forest, N C on Nov 3, 2017 
Michael Richard Harrold of Winston Salem, N C on 

March 22, 2018 
Stephanie D Honeycutt of Clayton, N C , on June 5, 2018 
Caleb Louis Mehlman of Raleigh, N C on Dec 19, 2017 
Tracy Manning Moore of Williamston, N C , on Jan 28, 2018 

FACULTY/STAFF 

Simon Baker (geography) of Greensboro, N C , on May 9, 2018 
Anita Brehm (education) of Greenville, N C , on June 21, 2018 
Anne Donovan (athletics) of Wilmington, N C , on 

June 13, 2018 
Daryl Guffey (accounting) of Anderson, S C , on May 5, 2018 
Joyce Helms (student fund acct ofc ) of New Smyrna Beach, 

Fla , on June 24, 2018 
Richard Henton (art) of Columbus, Ga , on May 31, 2018 
Otis K Karr Jr (athletics) of Pickens, S C , on March 11, 2018 
Donald R Lennon ’60 ’61 (Joyner Library) of Greenville, N C , 

on April 26, 2018 
Leslie Paul “Ty” Moore (facilities) of Greenville, N C , on 

June 22, 2018 
Robert S Moye (ITCS) of Greenville, N C , on June 6, 2018 
William M Phillips (facilities) of Baltimore, Md , on 

May 4, 2018 
Lawrence Stanley “Stan” Harris (pathology) of Studio City, 

Calif , on May 1, 2018 
Carl Jacob Twarog (art) of Greenville, N C , on May 29, 2018 
Alvin Volkman (pathology) of Greenville, N C , on 

April 11, 2018 
Odell Welborn (health and physical education) of Greenville, 

N C , on May 10, 2018 

CONNECT 


FALL 2018 VOLUME 16, NUMBER 2 

East is produced by East Carolina University 

Managing Editor 

Doug Boyd ’99 

Art Director 

Mike Litwin ’01 

Photographers 

Rhett Butler, Cliff Hollis 

Contributing Writers 

Crystal Baity, Doug Boyd, Harley Dartt, Cole Dittmer, 
Jeannine Manning Hutson, Jules Norwood, 
ECU News Services, Erin Shaw, Rob Spahr 

Contributing Photographers 

Forrest Croce, Maria DeForrest, Cole Dittmer, 
Dana Hoff, ECU Athletics, Marnie Custom Homes, 
Mark Kwiatek, NASA, Paramount Network, 
Alfredo Barroso Ruiz, Joshua Vaughan, Stuart Watson 

Copy Editor 

Jimmy Rostar ’94 

Chief Communications Officer 

Thomas E. Eppes 

Contact Us 

• 252-737-1973 

• easteditor@ecu.edu • www.ecu.edu/east 
Customer Service 

To start or stop a subscription or to let 
us knowabout a change of address, please 
contact Advancement Services at 
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Send letters to the editor to: 

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Greenville, N.C. 27858-4353 


35,650 copies of this public document were printed at a 
cost of $22,213.02, or $.62 per copy. 


Howard House 
Mail Stop 107 
East Carolina University 
Greenville, NC 27858-4353 


DueEast 

8.18.18 

An estimated 1,500 members of the freshman class 
gathered at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on Aug 18 for a group 
photo The ECU Marching Pirates assisted by forming the 
borders of the Old North State And if you want to pinpoint 
Greenville on the map, just look for PeeDee